RPCs given powers as Police reviews its transfer policy

The Uganda Police Force has introduced a new policy on the way its officers are transferred from various stations and offices around the country.

According to some of the resolutions of the 25^th Police Council meeting that sat last week at Naguru, it was agreed that a placement committee be created to take charge of the transfers involving gazetted officers above the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police.

“The transfer of gazetted officers will remain a mandate of the force’s placement committee,” the deputy police spokesperson, Polly Namaye told journalists on Monday.

In the past, the transfer of all police officers was in charge of the Human Resource Director.

The Nile Post has however learnt that the placement committee will be headed by the Human Resource Director who will consult other members before carrying out any transfers of the gazetted officers.

The deputy Police spokesperson revealed that it was resolved that all police officers who have spent at least three years at a station or in a position will always be transferred as one of the ways to ensure fairness.

“We want to be fair and balanced,”Namaye said.

In the past, several officers would spend up to 10 years at a police station and this has greatly affected the force’s ability to fight criminality.

Before his death ASP Muhammad Kirumira said some of the police officers who stay long at police stations end up being used to criminals that they in some cases share the loot, and this he said saw criminals operate freely.

The new policy would now bring sanity because the newly created Police placement committee will be following up on officers to see the time they have spent in a certain area.

RPCs given powers

According to the Police Council resolutions, Regional Police Commanders now have powers to transfer officers under their command at any time, unlike before when all powers lay in the hands of the Human Resource Directorate.

“RPCs are now mandated to manage transfers of subordinate officers but after consulting the police management.”

This means Regional Police Commanders will be able to transfer officers below the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police who are under their command unlike before.

Police Director weighs in

However, according to the Police’s Chief Political Commissar, AIGP Asan Kasingye the reasons for the transfer will largely remain the same despite the new policy.

He said there is no definite formula for transferring officers noting that it depends on the circumstances at hand at that time.

“It could depend on promotion. If somebody is promoted, he may be transferred from one position to another. If you are DPC, you are supposed to be at the rank of Superintendent of Police(SP) but if you are promoted to Senior Superintendent of Police(SSP), you are then transferred to be a deputy Regional Police Commander,” AIGP Kasingye told the Nile Post on Monday.

He noted that other officers are transferred because they have got training in a specific field that they didn’t have before and on return, it means they are transferred or deployed to an office that is in line with their training.

“If you have completed a station commander’s course, one return you are transferred to head a station. If you have gone for a senior command course, on return you are deployed in an office of that level.”

AIGP Kasingye said academic qualification can also determine transfers in case an officer gets higher qualifications that the ones he had before, they are moved to another office that suits their qualification.

The Police’s Chief Political Commissar also said some officers are transferred on their own request or because of complaints from the communities or local leaders they serve in.

“Some officers request to be transferred to areas near their homes. There are women transferred to a certain area because they want to be near their families. It can also be based on local leaders’ requests if an officer has failed to manage crime in an area and he is transferred.”

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