Chapter 1 – Report of the Policy, Law and Complaints Group (v) Working Conditions of Police Personnel Apart from the rights of detainees, the Commission also studied the working conditions of police personnel. Healthcare of police personnel is a serious concern especially for those who process detainees because they are exposed to the risk of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. They also face risks when handling drug users; for example, there had been incidents where drug users flung used needles at them during arrest. According to the police personnel interviewed, there was no periodic medical screening or immunisation for them. Workload is another concern raised by the police personnel interviewed in the study, especially among the investigation officers (IO). The IOs claimed that too many files were assigned to them and this has led to a backlog of cases. The IOs were required to multitask, for example they were also assigned for duty during roadblocks, raids, and football matches, and were expected to escort dignitaries and take part in other programmes. Some of the IOs confessed that they have had to apply for remand orders for suspects simply because they had limited time to conduct investigations. During the study, the Commission observed that about 20 per cent of the IOs are between the ages of 51 to 60 years. It was highlighted to the Commission that the age factor sometimes hampers investigation work. Other common problems observed by the Commission are the poor facilities and operational logistics of the police stations. Almost all the district police headquarters (IPD) visited by the Commission, including the newly built ones, had been facing problems. Among the problems were short-circuited electricity supply, malfunction of air conditioners and lifts, and maintenance of police vehicles. In addition, some personnel have had to work in unconducive environments, for example, where a small office space had to be shared among three to four persons. They have also had to share facilities like computers, printers, and cartridges. Most of them had to fork out their own money to buy A4 paper and ink cartridges due to shortage of supply. The issues raised above are potential contributors of unnecessary stress and pressure, which could lead to other problems such as corruption and the release of frustration on detainees as admitted by some of the personnel during the study. (b) Recommendations The Commission is in the midst of finalising the report on deaths in police custody, which contains details of issues as well as specific recommendations. The Commission’s general recommendations in relation to the issues raised above are summarised below: 75 BOOK-ANR2016-01-latest.indb 75 08/04/2016 3:32 PM