Effectiveness of the Palestinian Civil Police’s  Accountability and Complaint System

Mustafa Abdelbaqi

doi:10.35516/law.v52i2.7471

Authors

Mustafa Abdelbaqi Department of Law, Faculty of Law and Public Administration, Bir Zeit University, Ramallah, Palestine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7392-8964

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35516/law.v52i2.7471

Keywords:

Palestinian civil police, accountability system, complaint system, disciplinary measures, citizen’s confidence in civil police

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to assess the effectiveness of the Palestinian Police’s accountability and complaints system, especially in light of the existing paradox in assessing the nature and role of the police. Essentially, the main goal of the police is to protect the rights and freedom of citizens; however, their authority might be abused by resorting to verbal and physical assaults against suspects and offenders under the pretext that these are essential to the task of crime control.

Methods: The study uses the descriptive analytical approach, as well as the empirical method to obtain statistics and data provided by official and non-official human rights institutions. Interviews were held with decision-makers in the civil police force, relevant human rights organizations and international and foreign organizations situated in Palestine. Face-to-face and phone interviews were held with some victims who filed complaints against police officers.

Results: The findings can be summarized by a lack of a clear conceptual structure and lack of coordination between accountability units. Moreover, the complaints system suffers from a duplication of complaints units across different institutions, which causes a depletion of the already scarce financial support.

Conclusions: The study concludes that the Palestinian police should simplify the structure of the accountability and complaints system, ensure public access to accountability units, and pay particular attention to complaints filed by marginalized and vulnerable individuals, especially women, children and the physically challenged.

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