In Search for the Best Police Oversight Mechanism for Zimbabwe: The Imperative for an Independent Police Complaints Board

Abstract

On numerous occasions, the Zimbabwean police have had to contend with allegations of police abuse of power, with various sectors of the society calling for sound mechanisms for holding the police to account. This study gathered data from purposefully sampled representatives of police oversight institutions to find out their perspectives on the best police oversight mechanism for Zimbabwe. Findings revealed that an independent board consisting of non-police officers is the most effective mechanism for handling police misconduct. Findings also revealed that the independent board should be manned by retired judicial officers, retired senior police officers and representatives from the civic society.

Keywords:

• Accountability
• civilian police oversight
• independent board
• police misconduct
• human rights

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).