Dialogue

Mark Tailor is a trainer and consultant based in Strasbourg. He works mainly in the fields of intercultural and human rights education and international project management.

Interviewer: Mark, When do you think it might be necessary for the state to kill?

Mark Tailor: Well, one of the key factors in the maintenance of a trusting relationship between the public and the police is the issue of safety. Threats to life have to be taken seriously. Preventing murders are vastly important police functions. Whenever possible, police officials are required to use peaceful means to keep order, but sometimes they have to use force or firearms in order to protect human lives and this, sadly, sometimes results in death.

Interviewer: Can you explain the term “absolutely necessary force”?

Mark Tailor: So, Police managers need to plan and operations in order to minimize the use of lethal force and the incidental loss of life. If force has to be used, then it has to be proportionate to the situation. The following factors should be taken into account:

• the nature of the aim pursued in the police operation;

• the perceived dangers to life and limb;

• the degree of the risk that the force employed might result in loss of life.

Interviewer: According to the European Court of Human Rights police management is responsible for the actions of subordinates, isn’t it?

Mark Tailor: Yes, that’s right. The key concepts “absolutely necessary” and “proportionate” are central in safeguarding the right to life.

Interviewer: And the last but not least question. What procedures must one follow if individuals are killed during a police operation?

Mark Tailor: Administrative procedures should ensure that clear records be kept of all such operations to enable investigations into the deaths and to find out if human rights have been respected by the police officials. These records are also important for police officers to protect themselves against wrongful accusations.

Interviewer: Thank you very much, Mr. Tailor, for explaining and clarifying some basic concepts of policing practice.

1. Work in pairs and answer the questions:

1. What is (are) the main function(s) of the police?

2. How do the police keep order and protect human rights?

3. What are police managers responsible for?

4. How do you understand such concepts as “absolutely necessary” and “proportionate”?

5. Why should administrative procedures be strictly followed by policemen?

2. Act out the shortened variant of the dialogue, learn it by heart.

Scan the text and entitle it.

The relationship between police and human rights is centered around the notions of “protection” and “respect”, and it can be a very positive relationship.

In fact it is a function of police to protect human rights. They do this in a general way by maintaining social order so that all human rights can be enjoyed. When social order breaks down the ability of the state to deliver or ensure respect for human rights is diminished or destroyed. Furthermore it is partly through policing that states meet their legal obligations to protect specific human rights – the right for life for example.

As far as “respect” is concerned, police are to respect human rights when they carry out their duties. In other words, whereas the protection of human rights is a police function, the requirement to respect human rights affects the ways in which police are to fulfill all of their functions.

This positive relationship for the requirement to respect human rights is closely bound up with the effective performance of police functions. For example, human rights are protected by law and police enforce law – in order to prevent and detect crime, to maintain social order and to protect human rights. Seen in this way effective policing consists of fulfilling policing functions whilst at the same time respecting human rights. Violating human rights, law breaking for the purposes of law enforcement, is not effective policing – whatever the other results which may be achieved. When police break the law in order to enforce it they are not reducing criminality, they are adding to it.

The relationship between police and human rights is only negative, and police are only seen as delinquents, when human rights are not respected by police. When that occurs effective policing is not being delivered.

When talking about police officers and human rights, people normally think of the police in their role as state agents who must respect the human rights of the population they serve; for example, in situations of use of force, arrest or detention.

However police officers are also individuals entitled to the same rights and freedoms as other citizens. In their work they are protected by the same human rights standards. These are rights they can claim against the State, not other citizens. But it is important to note that a failure by the State to protect officers’ rights does not legitimize violations of human rights by police officers.

1. Find the English equivalents for the following word combinations; memorize them.

1. поддерживать общественный порядок

2. нарушать общественный порядок

3. обеспечивать соблюдение прав человека

4. выполнять обязательства, предписанные законом

5. исполнять свои обязанности

6. снижать уровень преступности

7. способствовать росту уровня преступности

8. эффективно осуществлять деятельность полиции

9. обладать теми же правами и свободами, что и другие граждане

10. не признавать законным нарушения прав человека

2. Find the synonyms in the text:

A	B
To break the law (rights)	To v…
Arrest	D…
To fulfill functions	To p…
Offender	D…
To keep social order	To m …
To influence	To a…
To investigate crime	To d…

3. Form a noun out of the following verbs. What are the common suffixes are there to do it?

1. To protect

2. To deliver

3. To require

4. To perform

5. To enforce

6. To prevent

7. To detect

8. To maintain

9. To violate

10. To fail

4. Complete the sentences:

1. The function of police is to …

2. They do it by …. social …. so that all human rights can be enjoyed.

3. Police helps the state meet its legal obligations to …. – the right for life for example.

4. Police are to … when they … their duties.

5. …. are protected by law and police ….. law – in order to prevent and … crime, to maintain social order and to protect human …..

6. When police … the law in order to enforce it they are not …. …., they are adding to it.

7. The relationship between … and … … is only negative, and police are only seen as …, when human rights are not … by police.

8. However police officers are also individuals entitled to the same … and … as other citizens.

5. Be sure to prove that “the relationship between police and human rights is centered around the notions of “protection” and “respect”.

Translate the text in writing.