Do not yield to pressures, PM tells law enforcement officers

AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Thursday urged law enforcement agencies to reject “all forms of pressures that would hinder their job as they enforce the law”, even if these pressures come from executive authority officials and lawmakers. 

He made his remarks during separate visits to the Public Security Department (PSD) and the Gendarmerie Department, accompanied by Interior Minister Salameh Hammad and Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Momani, where he congratulated PSD Director Maj. Gen. Atef Saudi and Director General of the Gendarmerie Department Brig. Gen. Hussein Hawatmeh for their appointment to the top posts, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The two officers, along with Hammad, were appointed in the aftermath of sacking their predecessors for “lack of coordination” and failure to handle key security files.

Strict and inclusive law enforcement has been a public demand in the past few years, amid a rising crime rate and law breaches, including car, water and electricity thefts, along with violations to general exams’ regulations and trespassing on state-owned lands.  

Ensour stressed during his meetings with the police and Gendarmerie commanders that security agencies should “extend bridges of trust with citizens, implement the law with flexibility, yet with firmness and make sure that it is applied to all equally, with no exceptions”.

On inter-agency cooperation, the premier called on the PSD and Gendarmerie to build a fuitful relation.

He said such a relation “should not be built on competition, but rather on self-denial” and smooth flow of information among them and between the two agencies and other concerned state institutions through official channels.

He also underlined the need to maintain high morale among their ranks and ensure all justice and equality.

Ensour said preparedness and coordination to deal with traffic jams that the Kingdom witnesses during summer and Ramadan are vital.

He also referred to the key role that security bodies play to ensure a smooth General Secondary Certificate Examination (Tawjihi).

Hammad asserted that coordination between the PSD and the Gendarmerie Department ensures efficient performance and the execution of duties professionally, noting they should learn from their previous mistakes to avoid them in the future, according to Petra.