Though many structural and institutional factors influence and regulate individual and group behaviour in a socio-political setting, one of the key entities of social control is the group of people legally mandated by the state to safeguard citizens and apprehend outlaws. It is to these bodies that the label 'police' is ordinarily applied. Policing serves as the first link in the criminal justice system and constitutes one of the essential functions every sovereign state undertakes. The key agent, nevertheless, functions effectively only when its structural, strategic and operational culture - its 'policing' - is independent, people-centric and adequately equipped.

However, policing systems that evolve into increasingly militarised and politicised often lack expertise, rendering society more vulnerable to systemic crime and social disorder. This vulnerability is exacerbated by policing that prioritises the interests of a narrow elite over enforcing laws and fundamental rights, effectively acting as a vanguard that enforces Machiavellian dictates -........

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