Bukit Aman goes after crooked cops, New York style

(Malay Mail Online) – In a bid to clean its tarnished image, Bukit Aman is taking a leaf from the New York Police Department (NYPD) to set up an internal affairs bureau to tackle the problem of rogue officers.

Officers from Bukit Aman’s Integrity and Standard Compliance Department (JIPS) will have the power to conduct random checks on their colleagues and weed out errant policemen, The Star reported today.

“We will plant our officers and raid premises without the knowledge of the OCPD if no action is taken against reports lodged.

“Sometimes, we need a little slap to realise that we’ve been complacent,” Senior Deputy Commissioner Datuk Zubaidah Md Ismail, who is JIPS first director, was quoted by the daily as saying.

She said there could be some resistance within the police force but the change is crucial to “renew our integrity through checks and balances”.

“Several years ago, NYPD was a corrupt agency but it managed to clean itself up by conducting random and targeted integrity tests on personnel,” she was quoted adding.

Zubaidah said the police disciplinary board was a separate body previously but with JIPS, the federal police team aims to monitor not only the attitude but the integrity of policemen too.

NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau had conducted “integrity tests” on more than 1,000 officers in a year, which includes presenting the opportunity to accept bribes or commit other crimes.

It also introduced drug testing and officers who failed the test or refused to take it would be sacked.