The last five decades have shown overwhelming concern for order and stability at the expense of basic civil and political rights.

An International Conference on Principled Policing was held last week to examine a whole range of issues relating to the role of the police in a rule of law society.

Speaker after speaker acknowledged that the police force is an indispensable, key agency in our criminal justice system.

The men and women in blue help to prevent crime, maintain law and order, conduct investigation of crimes, ensure production before the courts of those on trial and oversee post-sentence surveillance over criminals.

In this age of cross-border crimes, terrorist attacks and the nefarious trade in drugs, arms and human beings, the challenges of policing are indeed immense.