THE police are going all out to improve their image following the adverse publicity the force has been getting in the past few months. But this is undoubtedly going to be one of the toughest assignments to be undertaken by its officers and men.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Norian Mai realises the enormity of the task but it is one which he and his men will have to face head-on as the credibility of the force is at stake.

Recent developments have put the force in a bad light and police-bashing has become a favourite pastime in some quarters.

While it is admitted that there are shortcomings which need to be rectified, there is a danger that things may go a bit too far.

It is time for the critics to go slow and not highlight every case in the media.

This will only demoralise the policemen who are trying to maintain law and order.

The public must bear in mind that the police are there to prevent crime and to apprehend those who have committed criminal offences.

As a matter of fact, they are the only ones with the powers and authority to deal with such criminal elements and society will disintegrate if such anti-socials are allowed to run wild.

This is something which even the harshest critics will have to acknowledge. They know that they will have to ask for police help if their own lives and property are in danger.

There is no one else that they or the people can turn to when their personal well-being is being threatened by bad hats or gangsters.

In view of this, it is better for such critics to keep their comments in their proper perspective.

If one or two policemen should be too zealous in performing their duties, the whole force should not be blamed. After all, no matter how they try, we cannot do without the police.

Of course out of a total of some 80,000 officers and men, there must be some bad apples.

What the top brass should ensure is that incidents of policemen exceeding their authority in carrying out their work should be minimised.

It is really not that difficult for the force to brush up its image and gain public confidence. A good place to start is to make the police station or beat base more people-friendly.

The people dread going to a police station because of the intimidating behaviour of those manning the counter.

Some of the NCOs have a tendency to treat every member of the public seeking help as a nuisance.

At least this is the public impression but this is already bad enough.

If the policemen dealing directly with public complaints should adopt a more friendly and caring attitude, the force will definitely receive better co-operation from the people in crime prevention or in catching criminals.

Perhaps it is easy to get the counter-staff to be more courteous but the difficult ones are actually the policemen on the beat.

They come into constant touch with the public on their daily rounds and their behaviour can also put people off.

Due to the nature of their work, it is not easy to expect the policemen to deal with the public in a friendly manner all the time.

However if they are professional in doing their job, they should win the confidence of the people and enhance the image of the force.