The IPA Revisited

By Deon Huysamen

The first of a series of articles that I intend to write, this short article is aimed at ALL IPA members, regardless of the length of their membership. The reason is that most members have never laid eyes on the Constitution and Rules of IPA in South Africa and do not even know that they exist.

You may ask what that has got to do with Ton’s article. The answer is simply that members have no idea what it really means to be members of this association, the largest association of policemen in the world. If your idea of membership is to ask :”What do I get out of IPA ?” then you are in the wrong organisation. Our motto is “Service through Friendship” and you should be prepared to SERVE and do so IN FRIENDSHIP.

Only then will you discover what you really get out of your membership. Article II of the Constitution and Rules lays out the Aims and Objectives of the Association. This also reflects the International Aims and Objectives of the Association. Knowledge of these aims and objectives is, in my opinion, a fundamental requirement to firstly be able to contribute fully to the achievement thereof as an active member and also to enjoy all the benefits that membership brings. I will try and extract and explain the most important points contained in this article of the Constitution below. Important words and phrases are printed in bold for emphasis.

“The South African Section is an independent body made up of members of the Police Service, and other law enforcement agencies, whether on active duty or retired, and without distinction as to rank, race, colour, language or religion.” At present members and ex-members of the SAPS, METRO police, Traffic Departments and Law Enforcement members of the Department of Nature Conservation qualify for membership.  

 
THE AIMS

The purpose of IPA is “to create bonds of friendship and to promote international co-operation. The IPA is committed to the principles set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as adopted in the United Nations in 1948.
 aims include

• the development of cultural relations amongst its members,
• a broadening of their general knowledge and
• an exchange of professional experience.

 
In addition it seeks to foster mutual help in the social sphere and to contribute within the limits of its possibilities to the peaceful co-existence of different peoples and to the preservation of world peace.

THE OBJECTIVES

To achieve the above Aims the Association undertakes the following objectives.

• To link together, in a sense of service and friendship, all serving and retired members of the Police Service of member countries.
• To encourage personal contacts by organising exchange visits of individuals and groups, arranging group holidays and initiation per friendships.
• To promote among the police services of all the Sections respect for law and order.
• To develop social and cultural activities and to encourage the exchange of professional experiences.
• To enhance the image of the police in the countries of its member Sections and to help improve relations between the police and the general public.
• To foster youth exchanges and international youth meetings with a view to promote greater tolerance and understanding between people, and understanding for the work of police.
• To facilitate a regular exchange of publications between the National Sections and to provide an information service for the national IPA publications containing news on all subjects of relevance to the Association.
• To promote international publications, and to help with the preparation of a bibliography of police works and, however possible, of all works connected with the law or legal matters.
• To facilitate international co-operation through friendly contacts between police officers of all continents and to a mutual understanding of professional problems.