The Malawi Police Service is an independent organ of the executive that is mandated by the constitution to protect public safety and the rights of persons in

Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast ...

. The Malawi Police Service is overseen by an Inspector General of Police. Eastern Region Police Headquarters, Zomba

Police Ranks

Inspector General An inspector general is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is "inspectors general". Australia The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (Australia) (IGIS) is an independent statutory off ...

Deputy Inspector General A Deputy Inspector General of Police (abbreviated as DIG) is a high-ranking official position in Police in Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Nigeria and Sri Lanka. India Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) is a rank ...

Commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...

* Deputy Commissioner * Senior Assistant Commissioner * Assistant Commissioner * Senior Superintendent * Superintendent * Assistant Superintendent *

Inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...

Sub Inspector Sub-inspector (SI), or sub-inspector of police, is a rank used extensively in South Asia: in the police forces of Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka, which is primarily based on the British model. It was formerly used in most British col ...

Sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

Constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...

Inspector General

The

is the head of the Malawi Police Service. The position is appointed by the

President of Malawi The president of the Republic of Malawi ( ny, Mtsogoleri wa Dziko la Malawi) is the head of state and head of government of Malawi. The president leads the executive branch of the Government of Malawi and is the commander-in-chief of the Malawia ...

and confirmed by the National Assembly. The Public Appointments Committee may at any time inquire as to the competence of the person. The Inspector General of Police can only serve for five years in that position. The Inspector General of Police can be removed by the president for being incompetent, incapacitated, compromised, or reaching retirement age. The Inspector General oversees the Malawi Police Service (MPS) under Ministry of Internal Affairs and Public Security. The Inspector General is assisted by a Deputy and two commissioners who run the administration and operations respectively. The current Inspector General is remembered for strengthening MPS by establishing two new policing regions, that is, Central East and South East Inspector generals:

Societal Impact

During the Hastings Banda regime the police were involved in suppressing dissent. After the 8 March 1992 pastoral letter:

''There were public demonstrations in support of the bishops - notably at the University in Blantyre and Zomba, where soldiers indicated their support for the students and deterred violent police action against the protesters. This was the first sign of the army's future political role. In May 1992 student protesters were joined by striking workers in Blantyre. In two days of riots dozens of protesters were killed by armed police and Young Pioneers.''

The capabilities of the Malawi Police Service are growing, but its abilities to deter and investigate crimes, assist victims, and apprehend criminals are extremely limited. The police lack basic equipment (particularly transportation), are poorly funded, and do not receive sufficient training. Public support for the police has continued to drop, due in part to alleged corruption and ineffectiveness in deterring criminal activity.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Malawi Police Service Website

Malawi Constitution - Inspector General of Malawi Police Service

Interpol - Malawi
Law enforcement in Malawi Government of Malawi