Fundasaun Mahein (FM) hakarak dada atensaun ba kilat boot ne’ebe mak Polisia Nasional Timor-Leste (PNTL) iha pontu-kontrole durante periodu eleisaun ne’ebe liu dadauk ne’e. Kilat sira ne’ebe desproprosionadu hata’uk ema no sobu relasaun entre polisia no sidadaun bai-bain sira. Durante eleisaun, ofisíal PNTL sira iha fatin pontu-kontrolu balun hodi kilat automátiku nomos kilat metralladora sira (hanesan modelu PM2 husi PT Pindad). PM2 ne’e rasik kompletu hodi bele hamate kilat ne’e nia lian no hasubar kilat-ibun iha tempu kalan. Kilat hirak ne’e dezena ba deit operasaun militar espesial no kontra terorizmu. Sira ne’e laserve los ba pontu-kontrolu trafiku baibain iha Timor-Leste.
Tamba krime kilat sira ne’e ladun tebetebes akontese iha Timor-Leste, polisia la presija ho arma ba sira nia an ho kilat automátiku. Sekarik insidente ruma akontese duni polisia tenki uja forsa ne’ebe hamate, alvu PNTL nian mak Glock 19 9mm kilat-liman sei produs sufisiente ho kilat ai. PNTL tenke kompleta ninia ofisíal sira ho propriu ho esforsu ne’ebe mak iha implementasaun estratejia polisia komunitaria nian.
Modelu polisia komunitaria involve ofisíal polisia sira ne’ebe servisu ho komunidade sira hodi rezolve problema sira ne’ebe hamoris kriminozu no latuir dalan sira. Sira halo ida ne’e hodi halibur matenek husi komunidade lokal sira no koopera ho organizasaun seguransa komunidade hanesan Seguransa voluntariu Suco no Konselu Polisia Komunitaria sira. Matenek hirak ne’e hamutuk bele deit akontese sekarik membru komunidade sira senti seguru hodi besik pesoal PNTL ne’e. Sidadaun sira la sente seguru atu kolia ho ofisíal polisia ida ne’ebe ho marka kilat militar nian. Armas sira ne’ebe la propriu tamba ne’e hatun lolos kapasidade PNTL nian atu identifika no rezolve problema seguransa lokal nian.
Batalion Ordem Publiku (BOP) partikularmente sai izemplu ba ofisíal polisia PNTL sira ho demais liu. BOP ne’e parte husi Unidade Espesial Polisia (UEP) ne’ebe ho servisu hodi atua problema sira ne’ebe ho risku boot. Aleinde ne’e UEP seluk bele justifika hodi kilat boot tamba sira proteje ulun boot governu nian ka rezolve problema tiru malu ruma. Papel BOP nian liuliu mak mantein ba ordem publiku. Ida ne’e kuaze la ezije uza forsa katak BOP la presiza kilat automátiku. Maski nune’e ofisíal BOP dalaruma haree hanesan uza kilat ataka nian. Kilat sira ne’ebe la proporsional ne’e hamosu tauk ne’ebe lapresiza hare’e no refleta ba modelu polisia militar ne’ebe introdus ona husi Guarda Nacional Repulika Portugues. Ofisíal BOP tenke limita sira nia an ho kilat ne’ebe propriu hodi nune’e kontinua dezenvolve modelu polisia komunitarian nian.
FM fiar katak kooperativu ida hakbesik baze komunidade sei fo rezultadu ne’ebe diak duke modelu intervionista ne’ebe involve argumentu maka’as ne’ebe responde ho violensia. Forsa seguransa sira hatudu sira nia responsabilidade ho diak hodi servisu besik ho komunidade sira ne’ebe sira proteze. Ida ne’e foka liu ba relasaun dezenvolvimentu hanesan seguransa ne’ebé efetivu liu duke uza kilat ne’ebé lapresiza no hatauk ema. Tamba ne’e, FM rekomenda katak:
. Ofisíal PNTL sira lalika hodi kilat automátiku ka kilat boot ezatu iha situasaun ne’ebé perigu. Ofisíal sira ne’ebé responde ba situasaun sira ne’e tenke husi unidade UEP.
. PNTL tenke kontinua fó prinsipal ba metodu polisia komunitariu ne’ebé prioritiza relasaun konstrutivu entre polisia no sidadaun sira.
PNTL Officers Should Carry Appropriate Weaponry
Fundasaun Mahein (FM) wishes to draw attention to the excessively heavy weapons wielded by the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) at checkpoints during the recent election period. Disproportionate weaponry intimidates people and undermines the relationship between police and ordinary citizens. During the election, PNTL officers at certain checkpoints carried automatic rifles and submachine guns (for example, the Pindad PM2 model). The PM2 even features a suppressor, which muffles the gun’s sound and obscures its muzzle flash at night. These weapons are designed for military special operations and counter-terrorism. They are totally inappropriate for ordinary traffic checkpoints in Timor-Leste.
Because gun crimes are extremely rare in Timor-Leste, police do not need to arm themselves with automatic weapons. If a situation does occur in which the police must use deadly force, the PNTL’s standard-issue Glock 19 9mm handgun will provide more than enough firepower. The PNTL should equip its officers appropriately in line with its laudable efforts at implementing community policing strategies.
The community policing model involves police officers working with communities to address the underlying problems that generate criminality and disorder. They do this by gathering intelligence from local communities, and cooperating with community security organizations such as the Suku Security Volunteers and the Community Policing Councils. Such intelligence gathering can only occur if community members feel safe approaching PNTL personnel. Citizens are unlikely to feel comfortable talking with an officer sporting military-grade weapons. Inappropriate armaments therefore actually undermine the PNTL’s ability to identify and solve local security issues.
The Public Order Battalion (BOP) particularly exemplifies the excessive arming of PNTL officers. The BOP is part of the Special Police Unit (UEP), which is tasked with responding to high-risk incidents. While other UEP units can justifiably carry heavy arms because they protect government officials or respond to gunfire incidents, the BOP’s role primarily consists of maintaining public order. This almost never requires the use of lethal force, meaning that the BOP does not need automatic weapons. Nonetheless, BOP personnel are commonly seen with assault rifles. This disproportionate weaponry causes unnecessary fear and reflects the militarized policing model introduced by the Portuguese National Republican Guard. BOP officers should limit themselves to appropriate weaponry in order to continue developing the model of community policing.
FM believes that a cooperative, community-based approach will deliver better results than an interventionist model involving heavy-handed responses to outbreaks of violence. Security forces perform their responsibilities best in close cooperation with the communities they protect. Such focus on relationship-building represents a far more effective approach to security than wielding unnecessary and intimidating weaponry. Therefore, FM recommends that:
1) PNTL officers should not carry automatic rifles or submachine guns except in unusually dangerous situations. The officers responding to such situations should be from UEP Units.
2) The PNTL should continue to mainstream community policing methods that prioritize constructive relationships between police and citizens.