All Uganda Police Force officers have been directed to identify themselves and indicate their units before carrying out any arrest.
This communication has been issued by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Okoth Ochola Martin to all officers that effect arrests. According to the new guidelines, one must have a warrant card, to arrest a suspect.
“All arresting officers will take notice of the two types of arrests in our routine operations; (a) arrest with warrant, (b) arrest without warrant. The arresting officer must identify him/herself using his/her warrant card” part of the document reads.
The guidelines, according to the IGP are in conformity with Article 23 of the constitution, section 2 of the Criminal Procedures Act and Section 23-24 of the police Act, 1994.
Other guidelines include;
Officers shall inform the person arrested the nature of their offence, touch and restrain the person arrested, male suspects arrested must be put on handcuffs, and persons arrested must be escorted to the nearest gazette police station and should be transferred immediately to the station where the investigation or complaint was reported.
Also, a police officer will not effect an arrest unless a formal complaint has been made. All arrests must be done with full authorization of unit supervisor/commander. Arrests of female suspects are handled by women police officers, and all suspects arrested must be treated humanely and given right of access to communicate with immediate family/lawyer and medical care where injuries have been occasioned during arrests.
This comes at a time when several Ugandans have continued to report torture cases against police officers, and female suspects are manhandled by male police officers.
“Unfortunately, many reports in media houses keep coming up with claims of torture by officers. This is not our method of work because it is not only unconstitutional but also defeats justice as any statement obtained as a result of torture cannot be admissible in courts of law” Ochola wrote.
While the IGP lists all these guidelines, he does not mention in his letter the consequences, should any officer fail to oblige. He however advises members of the public to report to the Directorate of Humana Rights and Legal services, or at the offices of PSU or alternatively record their complaints to the government of Uganda Human Rights Commission for appropriate redress.
