Police warns CID commanders against picking suspects from cells

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  | Police have warned Criminal Investigation Commanders – CIDs against picking suspects from cells without going through a Cell’s Guard. 

Police’s Chief Political Commissar –CPC Asan Kasingye, says it is very wrong for an OC CID to go to the cells, pick a suspect and take them to his or her office for questioning or any other inquiries without going through Cell’s Guard.

Kasingye says for CID commanders directly picking suspects as opposed to getting them through Cell Guards undermines protocol but also puts them at risk especially if the suspect escapes in the process to taking him to the office. 

If a suspect picked by OC CID escapes, police say the investigation commanders would be tasked to search for the suspect. In addition, the OC CID could be charged with abuse of office since it would be assumed that he or she facilitated the suspect to escape.

Similarly, Kasingye has warned police officers at counter desks against dismissing, refusing to record public complaints claiming they don’t fall in police docket. 

Kasingye, who is an Assistant Inspector General of Police – AIGP, says there is a tendency of police officers at counters usurping themselves powers to decide whether a case is for police or not while in some cases they decide on what case to be entered. 

Police say powers of assessing and deciding whether the complaint brought by an individual falls in police docket or not must be done by Officer In-charge – OC of Criminal Investigations Department – CID.

Kasingye says any officer at the counter who fails to enter a complaint in a Station Diary –SD claiming it a none police issue usurps him or herself powers of OC CID. He warns that if a person presents evidence that the officer refused to record his complaint that could cause an action being taken against the accused officer.

Police explain that a counter at a police station means where complaints are made. Complaints can be made in person or through phone calls. A counter phone means a complaint can be received without the physical presence of the complainant. 

Kasingye says a counter phone call at the police station must be operational 24/7 meaning it be one and attended to all time. Police counter, according to Kasingye, is there to attend to public concerns and besides it helps police get first hand information.

Police counter is made of a Station Diary officer whose role is to attend register physical and phone call complaints, a Cells Guard, whose role is to receive and protect suspects in custody, a Standby Officer who must be over and above the rank of an Assistant Inspector of Police –AIP and an OC CID.

Kasingye says it is important a person who has visited a police counter to leave when he or she has recorded a statement commonly known as plain statement because it simplifies investigations. 

After your complaint has been registered and you have recorded a plain statement, you must be given a case reference note written using a red pen. Kasingye urges the public never to accept that their cases would be entered in their absence.

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