ABSTRACT
In recent years, most studies on police reforms have incorporated new paradigms that cover issues such as community policing, development of police indicators, and police accountability (Frughling 2009). However, most police forces were reluctant to draw inputs from the work done by researchers and academics on police matters. In most cases, this research tends to be critical of police. This is because police reforms in most African
Introduction 33 Understanding Police Reforms 35
History of the LMPS 36 Reforms in the LMPS 40 Oversight and Accountability Mechanisms 42 Role of Civil Society 44
Challenges of Police Reforms 46 Public Trust and Confidence in the Police 47 HIV/AIDS 48 Poor Infrastructure 48 Oversight Bodies 49
Parliamentary Oversight 49 Police Complaints Directorate 50 Judicial Oversight: The Role of Courts 51 Corruption 52 Community Policing 52 Political Will 53 Research 54 Monitoring and Evaluation 55 Conclusion 55 References 56 Websites 59
countries are a deeply political endeavor-political interests are fundamental to the process of reform. For instance, in political systems where patronage is entrenched, police are tied to the apron strings of the political elite (Rauch and van der Spuy 2006). Police also have few trained professionals who can effectively apply their research findings in police practice (Fielding 1999; Perez and Shtull 2002). Added to this is the little research on police operations (Frughling 2009). Bayley (2010) argues that in a democratic society police ought to serve as neutral custodians of public order. They must be available, fair, and responsive at all times in the maintenance of law and order. Police are not only apolitical, but should also be immune from political interference. Professionalism is of utmost importance in the police. This entails training and the disciplinary codes of conduct.
