Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1044434
27 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 28 OCTOBER 2018 Motivating police officers towards better performance POLICING has over the years evolved into a profession be- yond its immediate functions and requirements. Today's academic studies in policing are held at all levels up to Masters level. This evo- lution has meant that a large category of officers in the Malta Police Force are today highly qualified, and new generations are more prone to engage with other profes- sionals from other sectors, particularly the legal, finan- cial, medical, psychological and social, amongst others. Officers are nowadays more present in media discussions, but also have more freedom to express their opinions about various aspects of life and obtain valuable infor- mation from others, includ- ing academics… such an exchange can bring about improved results – mainly that of mutual understand- ing between very different kinds of social behaviour and action. In turn this influences pro- fessionals within the crimi- nal justice system through increased information on officers' closeness to the daily lives of citizens, who are more likely to listen to and under- stand; in contrast with past generations when the start and end to every police action was: "because the law says so, because procedure is on top of all human life" – an unac- ceptable logic in academic life and work of all types. This necessitates that the administration clearly under- stands what inspires civilians to become sworn officers, what police officers' career aspirations and promotion motivations are, and what factors are essential to retain seasoned officers beyond their 25 years of service. Likewise, both public and private organisations want to know what should be done to achieve sustained levels of performance from their em- ployees. Understanding why people behave in a particu- lar way is highly important because a motivated work- force is associated with better organisational performance. At the turn of the 20th cen- tury, money was deemed to be the sole motivator at work. But the idea of Economic Man has been supplanted by the Social Man concept where other aspects besides economic reward, such as rec- ognition and job enrichment, have been found to influence employees at work in their immediate environment and beyond. Motivation at work can take place in two principal ways – intrinsically or extrinsically. Extrinsic motivation refers to "tangible" rewards such as increased salary, fringe benefits, or promotion, as well as punishments in the form of disciplinary actions, amongst others. Intrinsic motivation is related to "psychological" re- wards that influence people to behave in a particular way and include responsibility, chal- lenging work, job autonomy, positive recognition and op- portunities for advancement. This means that certain tasks are important since workers must perceive the work content as satisfactory and rewarding. Which is why extrinsic motivators can have an immediate and powerful effect, but it will not necessar- ily last long. Intrinsic motiva- tors, which are concerned with the quality of work- ing life, are likely to have a deeper and longer-term effect because they are inherent in individuals and not imposed from outside. The recently signed secto- ral agreement for members of the Malta Police Force is a clear example of extrinsic motivator. This agreement, which recognises the specific challenging yet vital role of the police in maintaining an orderly society 24/7, has prin- cipally corrected an anomaly which has been in place for so many years, namely the working week which has come down from 46 hours to 40 hours. This has not only trans- lated into 39 extra days for the police, but has corrected the hourly rate of pay whilst al- lowing officers to spend more time with their families and loved ones, engage in different cultural and sports activities, or avail themselves of the op- portunity to work extra police duties at overtime rate. But police administration is also focused on other intrinsic factors aimed at increasing motivation at work. Over recent months we have removed fixed-point duties from rostered police commit- ments to allow members to exercise such duties dur- ing their days off work and against additional financial remuneration. This is, in itself , a clear drive to focus more on core police duties of preventing and investigat- ing crime and prosecuting offenders, which are generally speaking, the driving factors which entice members of the public to enrol within the Force. Over the past months we have also embarked on two separate projects, one a study which shall lead towards a radical change in the police working uniform; the other to the introduction of body cameras intended to increase transparency in police operations whilst at the same time safeguarding police officers from unfounded al- legations against them. For the first time, the Malta Police will also be introduc- ing a new approach towards the Police of the Year award and the Commissioner's Certificate of Commendation: these awards will be delivered following nomination by peer members and a number of clearly-defined criteria evalu- ated by an appointed panel – a positive motivating factor in itself. Clearly, an adequate salary is a must for a motivated work- force but having the right tools and being surrounded by an adequate working environment are what count most to boost morale within the Force. The aim is to attract the right people to join the Police Force and retain the best human resources even after reaching police pension fol- lowing 25 years of service. Angelo Gafà is CEO Malta Police Force and Dr Anthony Licari is a lecturer Angelo Gafà and Anthony Licari Clearly, an adequate salary is a must for a motivated workforce but having the right tools and being surrounded by an adequate working environment are what count mostly to boost morale within the Force