The Abu Dhabi Police - Literature review Example

3. Literature review_ the Abu Dhabi Police The Abu Dhabi Police has a primary responsibility of maintaining law and order, keeping peace, enforcing criminal law and upholding and enhancing safety in the Abu Dhabi Emirate. To effectively handle the entire mandate, the members if the Abu Dhabi Police undergo training which is primarily offered in the Police College. Absal (2007) indicates that the Abu Dhabi Police was established in 1957. In its 57 years of existence, the police force prides itself as an established and reliable force which recruits, trains and releases qualified police officers into the civil service. Yet, Bumbak (2011) indicates that the work of the police throughout the world is dynamic. As such, training needs to be dynamic as well in order to meet the evolving needs presented in the society, and which pose alternating challenges to law enforcement officers. The importance of training is underscored by Howard (2008, p. 9), who indicates that “training enables law enforcement personnel to perform duties required for an effective response”. Notably, coming up with an effective training programme for police officers is not an easy undertaking. Howard (2008) for example notes that developing such a programme requires commitment, patience and cooperation between different stakeholders, who include the police department, the political and governing class, and other different sectors of the society. Some of the major challenges of training police officers as identified by Bumbak (2011) include the fact that while trainers are passionate and dedicated, they often lack the training and the tools necessary for them to become effective trainers. In other words, if the trainer is not qualified as a trainer, the results of his work can only be half-baked. On the other hand, if the trainer is fully qualified and lacks the basic training tools, his efforts and skills will not have the expected results on his or her trainees. The foregoing therefore means that police colleges in Abu Dhabi and in other parts of the world need to ensure that their police trainers are fully qualified and that they have the necessary training tools and support systems. Ordinarily, a police officer has multiple duties which range from being the role model, urban soldier, social worker, and therapist and even in some cases, a surrogate parent (Bumbak 2011; Cordner, Das & Cordner 2009; Eterno & Das 2010). As professionals, police officers are expected to carry out criminal investigations, command authority, interact well with the public, maintain law and order and handle guns and ammunition effectively. During training, they are taught about the police profession, the pitfalls therein, and how to interact with the public in a manner that commands respect (Bumbak 2011; Marenin & Das 2000). Police training colleges have however been faulted for not investing enough in trainers. According to Bumbak (2011) for example, there is a misconception that a skilled and experienced police officer is fit to become a police educator for new recruits. “The mechanics of the training process” are often disconnected with the reality of law enforcement in the society as Bumbak (2011, p. 2) argues, and many police trainers are not qualified educators. In other words, police colleges do not invest enough in educating their trainers on matters related to effective adult learning. The foregoing indicates a departure from behaviourist theories which did not pay enough attention to equipping police officers with leadership, judgement and problem-solving competencies during training. Birzer (2003, p. 31) specifically indicates that applying andragogical theories in police training may help trainers to shape their training to “become mission-oriented and respond to what the police have to know to perform their jobs effectively”. Application of andragogical theories would also enable the police training curriculum to be flexible in a manner that allows for self-directed group discussions (Birzer 2003). Literature sources (Cordner et al. 2009; Eterno & Das 2010; Marenin & Das 2000) also indicate that the ever-expanding police responsibilities are not well covered in training. For example, police officers are now required to intervene in matters that were previously a preserve of parents. This has been occasioned by a proliferation of domestic violence in homes, small weapons and drugs. The implication of this is that the police have an expanded mandate, some of which they may not have been trained for. In some cases for example, they have to play the roles of mediators (e.g. parents and children or between siblings), and /or on-site protectors (e.g. in schools). Bumbak (2011) therefore argues that the impetus for police training should be to train police officers about the profound responsibility they have towards the society. Other issues such as traffic codes, criminal law, officer survival, defensive tactics and civil statutes among other areas are secondary to understanding that police work is primarily a job that entails being responsible to and for the welfare of people in the society. Another important training aspect of police officers is in the traditional police work of patrol operations, search and seizure, apprehending and interviewing suspects, and writing reports (Bumbak 2011; Cordner et al. 2009). The foregoing topics should however be expanded to include diversity issues especially considering the global nature of the modern society. For example, Bumbak (2011) indicates that police training should offer lessons on effective communication and cultural sensitivity, terrorism and incident command systems among other new challenges in the present world. It has also been argued that police training programmes throughout the world (not only in Abu Dhabi) fail to capitalise on the adult education model (Bumbak 2011; Marenin & Das 2000). Specifically, it has been argued that the training programmes offered to new recruits are not structured for excellence; rather, they are designed to indoctrinate new recruits with the paramilitary culture, after which they are made to acquire physical fitness, acquire defensive tactics, and pass some obligatory courses. They then graduate into street patrols, where the theory acquired in areas such as anti-discrimination, gang awareness and defensive driving are put into practice (Bumbak 2011). The main shortcoming of police training as presented here therefore is that upon graduation, most officers are ill-equipped for the realities of the modern day society, where they might be forced to offer other services such as remediation, mentoring (e.g. young people caught in compromising situations) and/or counselling. The Police College in Abu Dhabi indicates that its duration of study was increased from two years to four years in 1992, after which officers are awarded a bachelor’s degree in law and policing (Police College 2014). Courses in the college are categorised into: skills development (self-defence, weapons, and report-writing); law (arresting and searching suspects); personal affairs (human resource development and personnel affairs); investigations (crime scene, forgery and counterfeiting); and management (crisis management and other forms of management) (Kratcoski & Das 2007). Curiously, courses that relate to crime anatomy, riots, handling prisoners, security, fires, and the English language are not taught to all officers; rather, they are taught to officers whose duties require them to possess such knowledge. Kratcoski and Das (2007, p. 29) acknowledge that “establishing the most appropriate training requirements is a great problem of police training centres and establishments in the Arab countries”. Specifically, the two authors indicate that the quality of training is greatly compromised by the absence of well-defined training needs, the training types necessary, and the inability to identify police recruits who would benefit the most from training. It has been argued that just like other learners, police recruits do not understand and retain instructions in a similar manner (Eterno & Das 2010). As such, educators ought to know how to intervene and enhance learning by police recruits who have different learning and retention capacities. Away from the classroom, McCampbell (1987) underscores the need for practical field training. He argues that while classroom training provides police recruits with the theoretical foundation needed to understand the responsibilities of a police officer, it does not adequately address the void that exists between the real world and the classroom. McCampbell (1987, p. 7) therefore argues that effective training of new recruits should include field training since it would expose new recruits to “actual street experiences and the accompanying field problems, patrol situations, investigations, and crime incidents”. Ideally, field training should provide comprehensive practical experiences of what policing is all about; something that the classroom-based training is not able to offer the new recruits. McCampbell (1987) further indicates that field training should be used to test whether a recruit is able to function well in the roles and responsibilities required of a field officer. This implies that the hallmark of a good police officer should be in how he/she handles different field experiences. While grasping of theory is important for new recruits, it is not sufficient if the recruits cannot handle themselves well in crime scenes or other law enforcement scenes. From field training programmes, a new recruit’s engagement with the civilian population can be honed in a manner that allows a good working relationship between the police and community members. According to McCampbell (1987), the foregoing is important since it would reduce civil liability complaints against the police by the same people they are supposed to be serving. Field training is also important since it exposes recruits to the challenging scenarios that law enforcers have to face in the contemporary world. According to Kratcoski and Das (2007), modern law enforcement scenarios are not only intellectually challenging, but the criminals are technological savvy and sophisticated in their demeanour and usage of technology. Encountering challenging scenarios during field trainings therefore not only challenges the new recruits, but their trainers too, who may be forced to enlarge their curriculum to include emergent crime categories. The political aspect of police training has also been indicated as critical in the orientation of new recruits (Kratcoski & Das 2007). According to the two authors, police officers operate in a political environment which they cannot pay a blind eye to. For example, matters of immigration (e.g. illegal immigrants), gender issues and riots usually have a political element to them. However, recruits are taught that their allegiance is to a sitting government and as such, they rarely are active participants in political issues (Dunphy 2008). In Abu Dhabi however, it appears that politics has a positive effect in police training since the emirate’s political and diplomatic relations with other countries have provided a chance for recruits to be engaged in exchange programmes with officers from other countries. The UK is one such country which has been enrolling Abu Dhabi Police recruits in its universities. Hendrikz (2011) for example documents how the Abu Dhabi Police has partnered with Ashridge Business School to develop effective and efficient leaders in the police force. Through this partnership, selected officers get to learn about “personal leadership style and influence; how to build teams and motivate people; and how to create a common language within the organisation” (Hendrikz 2011, p.2). Although the partnership may not appear as a political arrangement on the surface, it is arguable that it is the good diplomatic relationship existing between Abu Dhabi and the UK that has made such a partnership possible. The course offered by Ashridge Business School ostensibly helps officers in the Abu Dhabi Police to be more ‘relational’ (Hendrikz 2011). This admission by Hendrikz (2011) could be interpreted to mean that the Abu Dhabi Police Training College does not effectively equip new recruits with the ‘relational’ aspect during training. Cultural aspects during training of recruits has also been identified as a major issue that the police training programme in Abu Dhabi has to grapple with (Murray 2000). With an approximated 124 nationalities represented within its borders, Abu Dhabi is a melting pot of cultures and as such, its police force has to be adequately prepared to address issues of cultural diversity. Murray (2000) argues that law enforcement officers are the immediate government representatives to people of different cultures, and as such, must be sufficiently equipped and trained to act as the social arbitrators. Additionally, they need to be trained on how to resolve cultural difficulties and issues fairly and without prejudice (Murray 2000). This means that officers need training that will equip them with culture knowledge and sensitivity. Some of the ways through which cultural sensitivity enhancement has been suggested include “cross-cultural training, training in foreign languages, recruitment of police officers from minority groups, and giving a full range of policing responsibilities to women” (Murray 2000, para. 21). The Abu Dhabi Police Training College must also device ways of addressing the social “mega trends” that are identified by Murray (2000) as common in the entire world. The megatrends include: information technology development, Internet-based commerce and Internet-based communication; globalisation; and expanded human rights. In relation to information technology, the Abu Dhabi Police, just like the police services in other countries, needs training on how to prevent and/or investigate cyber crime and other technology related crimes. Members of the service also need to know how to use technology in order to enhance their work, and this is already evident since police officers in Abu Dhabi know how to use technology in their day-to-day operations as reflected in UAE Interact (2014). On its part, globalisation leads to nations and peoples of different cultures working together. To the police, the heterogeneity that emerges as a result of people of different cultures working together brings different law enforcement challenges which must be addressed in training. Such issues are often related to cultural diversity and the sensitivity of the police when dealing with a culturally diverse society. As indicated elsewhere in this review, cultural topics need to be introduced in police training in Abu Dhabi and elsewhere. As Murray (2000, para. 16) indicates, police officers in Abu Dhabi (and around the world) need training on how best to handle global crime, which is usually manifest in “clever, large-scale, organised crime which expands internationally”. In other words, training on handling domestic crime is no longer sufficient and therefore, police training needs to consider the need to train officers who can deal with organised crime on an international scale, as long as it affects Abu Dhabi. Finally, police training on human rights is another training need that has been addressed in literature (Howard 2000; Kratcoski & Das 2007). It has been indicated that governments in the Arab states are facing increased pressure to guarantee equal value to all genders including equal wages for both men and women, minority groups and the physically challenged people in the society. Police officers are expected to guard the rights and freedoms of all people, and as such will play a critical role in upholding human rights. To play their role effectively, Azabi (2007) indicates that they need training on being sensitive, just and impartial to different people regardless of the differences in cultures, worldviews and/or personal beliefs. Overall, law enforcement and policing in Abu Dhabi is faced with new social, political and cultural challenges, which require a more diverse form of training that will consider individual recruits’ learning style, their ability to function well outside the class-based instructions, and emergent law enforcement requirements brought about by emergent technologies, human rights and globalisation. At the heart of training is the requirement to have qualified and competent trainers who are not only experienced police officers, but competent educators who understand how effective learning takes place. As indicated in this literature review, police officers are increasingly taking up roles that were traditionally not theirs. For example, they are taking up the roles of counsellors and arbiters in family issues, something that was previously a preserve of parents. In some cases, no amount of training can prepare police officers for the challenges of their work. For example, should a police officer charge an over-speeding female driver who is ostensibly pregnant and in labour, or should they first rush them to the emergency room, and by doing so leave their patrol area unattended? In such cases, basic training should teach police officers to use their good judgement and do what should be considered the common good. This literature review provides some of the major concerns and issues highlighted in literature about police training. The literature review will provide an understanding from which the researcher will analyse the findings obtained during this research. References Absal, R 2007, ‘Abu Dhabi police gear up for golden jubilee celebrations’, Gulf News, 21 November, viewed 26 July 2014, Azabi, K 2007, ‘Infrastructure and environment’, pp. 1-29. Birzer, M L 2003, ‘The theory of andragogy applied to police training’, Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, vol. 26, no.1, pp. 29-42. Bumbak, A 2011, Dynamic police training, CRC Press, NW. Cordner, G, Das, D & Cordner, A 2009, Urbanisation, policing and security: global perspectives, CRC Press, Northwest, Washington. Dunphy, J 2008, ‘Politics and police work – a strange mix’, National Review Online, 7 May, viewed 26 July 2014, Eterno, J & Das, D 2010, Police practices in a global perspective, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, Maryland. Ghufli, A 2009, ‘Training needs analysis (TNA): a case study of the Abu Dhabi police’, Doctoral Symposium for the Brunel University, pp. 1-10. Hendrikz, R 2011, ‘A world-class police force for a world-class city’, Ashridge Business School Case Study, pp. 1-2. Howard, T 2008, ‘Improving responses to people with mental illnesses – strategies for effective law enforcement training’, Bureau of Justice Assistance, pp. 1-58. Kratcoski, P & Das, D 2007, Police education and training in a global society, Lexington Books, London. Marenin, O & Das, D 2000, Challenges of policing democracies: a world perspective, Psychology Press, East Sussex UK. McCampbell, M S 1987, ‘Field training for police officers: the state of the art’, US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, pp. 1-61. Murray, T 2000, ‘Police and the challenge of the 21st century: managing change in police organisations’, Platypus Magazine, September, viewed 26 July 2014, Police College 2014, ‘A historical view’, viewed 26 July 2014, . UAE Interact 2014, ‘Abu Dhabi police launches knowledge charter’, viewed 26 July 2014, Read More