NCJ Number
13782
Journal
Police Journal Volume: 47 Issue: 2 Dated: (APRIL-JUNE 1974) Pages: 101-114
Date Published
1974
Length
14 pages
Annotation
ARGUMENT THAT THE PREOCCUPATION WITH THE MILITARY MAY HAVE LED TO NEGLECT OF CONSIDERING AND RESEARCHING THE ROLE OF THE POLICE IN THE POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
Abstract
THE AUTHOR ASSUMES THAT FOR BOTH OBJECTIVE MILITARY AND SUBJECTIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL REASONS, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN LARGE ARMED FORCES REQUIRING A MAJOR SHARE OF THEIR NATIONAL RESOURCES, THAT MOST OF THEIR REAL DEFENCE MISSIONS WILL BE INTERNAL RATHER THAN EXTERNAL, THUS NECESSITATING CONSIDERABLE POLICE FORCES (AS WELL AS OTHER SECURITY SERVICES AND PARA-MILITARY FORCES), THAT ARMED FORCES WIELD A CONSIDERABLE POTENTIAL IN MODERNIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT MOSTLY WHEN NOT DIRECTLY IN POWER, THAT POLICE FORCES ARE LESS LIKELY TO STAGE COUPS D'ETAT AND MORE WILLING TO SERVE AS INSTRUMENTS OF OTHER (MODERNIZING) ELITES, AND THAT POLICE FORCES ARE THE MOST VISIBLE LINK BETWEEN GOVERNMENT POWER AND THE CITIZEN. IF THESE ASSUMPTIONS ARE CORRECT, IT IS ARGUED, THEN IT IS HIGHLY ADVISABLE TO INVEST MORE TIME, ENERGY AND ATTENTION IN THE POLICE AS A KEY FACTOR IN THE COMPLEX PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT. THIS SUGGESTED SHIFT OF ATTENTION MAY PROVE TO BE RATHER REWARDING TO POLITICAL SCIENTISTS AND OTHER SCHOLARS INTERESTED IN DEVELOPMENT AS THEIR PERSPECTIVE MAY BE ENRICHED BY FOCUSING ON A HITHERTO NEGLECTED IMPORTANT INSTITUTION, TO POLICY MAKERS IN THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WHO MAY FIND THE POLICE A MORE EFFICIENT, EFFECTIVE AND RELATIVELY LESS DANGEROUS INSTRUMENT THAN THE MILITARY, AND TO ADMINISTRATORS HEADING FOREIGN AID PROGRAMMES WHO MAY FIND THAT AID AIMED AT STRENGTHENING ARMED FORCES MAY BRING A MUCH HIGHER RETURN AT A LOWER COST IF CHANNELED THROUGH THE POLICE RATHER THAN THE MILITARY. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)