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Respect for enforcement officers needed too

I refer to the letter “No place for hooligan law enforcers” (Nov 30, online). The Land Transport Authority enforcement officer’s violent act cannot be justified and must be condemned. But should he be branded a hooligan for his one-off attack?

I refer to the letter “No place for hooligan law enforcers” (Nov 30, online). The Land Transport Authority enforcement officer’s violent act cannot be justified and must be condemned. But should he be branded a hooligan for his one-off attack?

The writer assumes that the fault lies only with the officer and questions the “external contractor’s recruitment criteria for such positions”. Uber, too, should brief its drivers not to enter taxi pick-up lanes.

The driver reportedly challenged the officer to issue him a summons for stopping at a taxi stand.

While a summons is meant to ensure compliance with the law, some of us tend to view it only from a monetary angle and do not mind paying a small sum. This may backfire if penalties are increased to ensure compliance.

Government agencies have improved their service standards over the decades. We should not take polite and professional enforcement officers for granted. Respect is a two-way street.

There have been cases of members of the public hurling verbal abuse and, sometimes, physical abuse.

The notices put up at government agencies, statutory boards and even on public buses, in which the respective managements vow to protect their front-line workers from abuse, attest to the need for the public to measure up too.

There are lessons from this incident for enforcement officers, private car drivers and commuters.

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