Fighting Corruption in Public Services

16

piecemeal. The system was so corrupt, they believed, from top to bottom, that any attempt to introduce new recruits would fail, as new officers would soon succumb to the corrosive atmosphere of corruption. The unconventional idea of firing all 16,000 traffic police overnight was broached and debated. Some policy makers were concerned about what would happen to traffic safety after the police were fired and before the new patrol police could be hired and trained. The reformers realized that this concern was of little practical consequence, as the traffic police never really did anything to promote traffic safety; the only reason the traffic police stopped anyone was to get a bribe. Many worried about the reaction to a mass firing. In the end, the reformers believed it was the only way to begin establishing a credible and competent police force. So in perhaps the boldest move of the young government, in a single day, it fired and took off the streets 16,000 officers. To soften the blow, the government provided two months’ pay and amnesty from past crimes. Some officers went without fuss; others joined the opposition. Chaos did not ensue—many observers believe that the roads were actually safer without the traffic people waving motorists over all the time—and a new patrol police force was created. Zero tolerance did not stop with the firing of the traffic police and the hiring of new blood. Undercover officers were assigned to make sure the police followed the rules. An ordinary officer might be partnered with a covert officer and never know it—unless he or she broke a rule. Spot checks were carried out to make sure police were following protocol. An undercover agent filed a complaint of domestic violence at a police station to see if complaints were followed up on. A driver cruised around at night with a headlight out. When stopped, he would say he was on his way to fix the light and offer GEL 20. Police officers caught taking bribes were fired. Such practices sent a strong message to new recruits that the ministry was serious about its code of conduct and the ethical practices of its police. To further protect citizens from abuse, the government introduced a 24-hour hotline that allows citizens to complain about police or report being asked for bribes. Video cameras went up all over Tbilisi, as well in other major cities and along highways, giving police and citizens proof of violations or evidence to the contrary. Fines were no longer collected on the spot but paid at commercial banks, eliminating opportunities for the police to pocket the money. Citizens finally had some leverage. They did not pay police directly and could report abuse and dispute fines through official channels. To eliminate petty corruption at the ministry level,

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook

Fighting Corruption in Public Services

Published on Jan 19, 2012

World Bank Publications

Since the Rose Revolution at the end of 2003, Georgia has had singular success in fighting corruption in a variety of public services. This book is an attempt to chronicle these efforts and to distil the ‘how to’ of these anti-corruption reforms. The reason corruption in public services had to be fought was clear. What had to be done was also obvious to many. But little has been written on ‘how’ the government made it happen. What were the salient features of Georgia's anti-corruption reforms? Can Georgia’s success with cleaning up its public services be replicated elsewhere or is it unique? And are the achievements to date in Georgia sustainable? This book tries to answer these questions. It uses available data and interviews with current and former government officials to describe the challenges facing government, the decisions made, and the tradeoffs considered.