The Barbados Police Service (TBPS) is definitely making a deliberate effort to be seen as a gentler, more citizen-engaged unit that lives up to its motto to protect and reassure.
Its rebranding has also involved an increased level of modernisation of the police service with more attention focused on digital readiness and the use of technology rather than brute force to bring the lawless to heel.
In terms of engagement with the public, TBPS has significantly accelerated its online presence, using social media platforms in a much more effective and proactive way.
On Instagram, for example, the cops have attracted almost 24 000 followers, and on Facebook, some 12 000 people have liked the page. This is added to the additional leverage of the Government Information Service, its socials, website and access to the traditional media houses and their platforms for further outreach.
Combined, the police service has quite an enormous ecosystem that it can exploit and connect to its various publics.
The police’s Wanted Mondays has apparently been extremely helpful in capturing wanted persons or sourcing information from those who may know of the whereabouts of those being sought by the cops.
Even with the successes of a name change and modern approaches, local law enforcers are still plagued with some fundamental concerns such as a growing lack of trust and increasing hostility by some citizens.
Trust is critical to the ability of lawmen to solve crimes and to assure the public that they are safe. One of the most glaring examples where trust in the information being provided surrounds the death of street dweller Albert John.
The case has generated such significant interest that the hashtag #justiceforAlbert is trending. The homeless man, who was reportedly beaten – not by police – arrived at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department “presenting with injuries”.
The 62-year-old sought medical attention on Sunday, November 10 and died the same day, according to a police report.
TBPS made the surprising announcement five days later on Friday, November 15 that a government pathologist determined that John had died of “natural causes”.
Not only are Barbadians baffled by the cause of death, but their heads are spinning at the speed with which the autopsy was conducted.
We know the police have no control over how quickly a government pathologist conducts his post-mortem examinations but it would be interesting to know if the speed of John’s was unusual.
It is against this backdrop that the lamentation by Acting Commissioner of Police Erwin Boyce about the increasing level of anti-police sentiment is timely.
Trust is crucial in any relationship and the ability of The Barbados Police Service to solve crimes on the island is highly dependent on cooperation from the public it serves. There are several factors impacting trust levels in TBPS, including changing social and moral standards.
“What is worrying from a police perspective is that the disrespect is starting from a relatively young age, teenagers, juveniles. It suggests to us that there’s something missing,” Boyce lamented at a recent online discussion.
Trust can only be achieved with a high degree of transparency. As such, it would be helpful to know what injuries John sustained when he visited the A&E? Was a statement taken and an investigation launched into who inflicted the injuries? Was the speed at which John’s post-mortem was done out of the ordinary? Will his family be given access to details of the post-mortem examination? And, most importantly, is the Albert John case closed?
TBPS is expected to speak on the matter of John’s death at a media briefing on Tuesday. What this suggests is that the hierarchy of TBPS is responsive to public sentiment and there is a level of awareness of the need to maintain public confidence in the men and women of TBPS.
The post Public trust in law enforcement must be maintained appeared first on Barbados Today.
