Devon Dick
THE RECENT savage killing of four children and two adult family members in St. Thomas, the parish of my birth, is cause for grave concern and a moment to contemplate adopting the best British policing practices.
The best British policing practices include a live television programme once a week that highlights crimes, provides simulation a la Crime Stop and gives an update of what is happening and allows citizens to telephone information. I cannot understand our policing strategy of not making known the names of suspects in order that the community could help. A couple months ago, on Nationwide news magazine programme, the hosts offered a spokesman from Kingfish the opportunity to state the names of the persons being sought and he declined!
SECURITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
In England, there are regular security announcements via the intercom at airports, train and coach stations about suspicious unprotected bags to be reported to the authorities and a warning not to leave bags unattended. This is because there have been awful experiences with bombings.
For us, in addition to the media messages, there should be regular brief security alerts wherever large numbers of persons congregate and where there is an intercom system, Music over the intercom should be interspersed with security alerts and tips.
The British seemed able to rally the community in novel approaches to fight crime. Teenager model Sally Anne Bowman was murdered last year in Croydon, England. The police have not solved the murder and so they have asked 4,000 men between the ages of 20 and 40 to volunteer to visit the Brighton Road Baptist Church to get DNA screening. Whether this strategy will work is left to be seen but it shows community spirit and support. The community of law-abiding citizens must rally around the honest, hardworking police.
There needs to be a paradigm shift from an informer being seen as a negative to being a hero. This is an uphill task but hopefully, Asst Commissioner Leon Rose, with responsibility for community relations, will be able to get the job done.
There are indications that the government is adopting some of the best practices with the recent announcement about increased use of cameras.
There is a tricky one employed by the Kent Metropolitan Police in their quest to recover £53 million stolen from a mint. They seemed to be using media warfare to make the conspirators feel that they were closing in on them. So far, they have recovered £11 million. However, recently, the police admitted that it might take years to figure out the mastermind.
However, we need to reject the bad British policing practice such as the shooting of the innocent Brazilian on the train last year. The head of the Police defended the new British policy of shoot to kill. The evidence so far has shown that the police story was a fabrication.
It is really unfortunate that we have gone for British personnel rather than their best policing practices. Equally unfortunate is that they are taking senior positions without us knowing more about their background, brushes with the law, qualifications and targets given. That and more make one feel that we are not serious.
FEDERATION SILENT
A couple months ago, fellow columnist Kevin O'Brien Chang outlined a comprehensive list of items and factors needed to be acquired in order to have a professional police force. And what has happened since. Opposition Leader, Mr. Bruce Golding has named a committee headed by Colonel Trevor Macmillan. The Minister of National Security, the Commissioner and the Police Federation have been silent. Not one word. Is this their best practice?
Every organisation or institution is seeking to follow best practices to improve performance and success rate. A recent release from The Ministry of National Security indicated success in that we understood that murders were on the decrease. I trust that best practices were employed and that we will be advised of them soon.
Rev Devon Dick is pastor of Boulevard Baptist Church and author of 'Rebellion to Riot: the Church in Nation Building'.
