Police cadets focus on discipline

Youth & Careers

By GYNNIE KERO
SIX women and 21 men have done three weeks of cadet training at the Bomana Police Training College.
The programme focused on disciplinary procedures.
Internal Affairs Director chief superintendent Robert Ali said discipline was everybody’s responsibility and instilling such behaviour and character at an early
stage in cadet training was important.
Ali said discipline applies to everybody within the Police Commissioner’s command and control value chain regardless of
gender, culture, religion or social status.
He told the cadets that discipline was their personal profile or behaviour and it would help them build and shape their personal character.
“Discipline tells who and what you are. Who you are is what you are,” Ali said, adding that discipline is where officers maintained coherence, consistency, conduct and regulate their behaviour.
“When you finish here and go to your respective postings you must maintain discipline at all times,” he said.
“When you do that you earn respect from your superiors and subordinates. Your character is your value.”
Ali said when officers have credibility, their supervisors would respect them and promote them.
“Character is fixed and you are one person. Bosses would market and promote you by looking at your character and how disciplined you are,” he said.
Ali told the cadet officers that when they had discipline they promoted the reputation of the police and introduced themselves to the public as a disciplined person.
He said: “Your supervisors would select officers among others because of trust. Trust is not a gift. It could not be bought or sold with money.
“How much money you put in would not stabilise your character. Trust is like an account. Because of your good character you could invest trust in others.”
Ali reminded the cadet officers that the claims against the State for police brutality and undisciplined behaviour had run into the “hundreds of millions”.
It was therefore incumbent upon each commissioned officer to maintain personal discipline and self-respect and in turn demand the same from their subordinates, he said.