Inebriated? Dial a cop

Police in Rwanda over the Christmas period provided a much needed service; driving a few lucky drunk drivers safely home and at no cost. It is the kind of story one might hear in a bar and think it was the mere fantasy of the teller. But when reported in the media, it becomes the stuff of legend. It came up during the festive season, not for the first time, having been announced towards the end of 2013. Creativity is spawned by many who believe that their drinking is a right. Welcome foldable bicycles. These bicycles are transported in the trunks of cars of those who provide a service to will-be-drunks. Choosing to drink without inhibition, the said drunks at least recognise they can’t drive. Whether through an auto-press key on their mobile phones, an app, or a friendly bar tender, they have the dial-a-bicycle rescuer ride over to them and drive them home, in the drunk’s own car. In other countries, cat and mouse games take place. Instead of dial-a-cop it plays out as avoid-a-cop. In one case, it was social media to the rescue with “Alcoblow Watch”. This twitter and Facebook initiative warned users of the police traps set to test the blood-alcohol levels in drivers. Instead of recognising the possible and probable danger of their inebriation, to themselves and other road users, the drunk drivers chose to instead beat the system. They used social media to alert drivers of which roads had police blocks so that they could avoid being tested. The police then countered by warning users that they were monitoring the social media. These stories reflect the different roles of police officers for society. It further begs the question, do we seek their protection or do we seek to protect ourselves from them? One thing is clear: the police play a central role in the law enforcement system. While it remains a controversial issue, many analysts link the drastic reduction of crime in New York City, since 1990, to the implementation of laws that caught people for minor infractions. In the mid-90s, some celebrities in New York City were jailed for flouting the Cabaret law. A hitherto unknown, antiquated law, it only allowed dancing in places that held a cabaret licence. The arrested celebrities were found in a bar, a place without a cabaret licence, gently swaying their hips to background music. For this minor offence, they were hauled off to prison. In solidarity, many New Yorkers responded by dancing at bars at every opportunity. Part of the law enforcement strategy at that time was to keep people “on edge” so that they understood that even very minor crimes were punishable by law. The implication was that if the focus was on minor crimes, then what indeed would be the punishment for major criminals? It seems that the strategy helped in making people less inclined to venture into the deeper waters of major crime. And yet, recently, police in New York City - usually known for their toughness - did a slow-down in response to the criticisms levied upon them for the murder of a black youth. Instead of downing their tools outright, they stopped catching people for minor offences. Other cities have the image (perhaps pre-911) of the friendly policeman on the beat – the quintessential London bobby - offering kind words to the grandmother. Or, recently, of a female police chief in the USA, seen dancing impromptu at a school ceremony to the tune of “Lean on Me”, strummed by a fellow police officer. That police chief’s overall goal is to build the community’s confidence in the force. A prior, tragic occurrence in that city had seen a police officer demanding sexual favours, in lieu of a fine, from female drivers caught over the alcohol limit. From police helping over-the-limit drivers get home to police abusing their power, to police doing a slow-down, enforcement of laws remains a central theme. However, it isn’t only enforcement but also the actual number of laws a society keeps on its books that matters. One claim is that societies which have relatively few laws have more law abiding citizens than countries that have many more laws. The thinking is that when there are so many laws that you can potentially be accused of breaking, you end up feeling like a criminal and therefore are more likely to behave like a criminal. Every time you leave your house you are, in essence, a suspect. When you have a few, clear laws (think Moses’ Tablet), then it is much easier to abide by these laws and your overall behaviour becomes more law abiding. In that case to be, is not necessarily to be a criminal. What seems clear is that by having laws that are manageable by both the police and the public and by building good relationships between the community and the police force, society is more likely to achieve security for all. Currently based in Rwanda, the writer comments about people, organizations and countries whose stories create a chrysalis for ideas.

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Inebriated? Dial a cop