By PACO NUNEZ
Tribune News Editor
pnunez@tribunemedia.net
THE government has been urged to establish a police exchange programme that would see foreign officers deployed here in a bid to reverse the continuing escalation of violent crime.
Psychologist and crime researcher Dr David Allen said despite the controversial nature of this suggestion, the majority of Bahamians he polled actually support some form of law enforcement aid from outside.
“Asking for help is not shame and does not mean ineffective,” Dr Allen said. “On the contrary, it defines a vibrant spirit which is willing to face reality regardless of the obstacles.”
The suggestion came out of a study into the causes of crime over the past seven years and a survey of public response to the trend.
Other recommendations included establishing a national crime forum, overhauling the legal system and the witness protection programme, and creating incentives to attract more intelligent young Bahamians to policing.
In seeking partners for a foreign exchange programme, Dr Allen said the Bahamas should approach close allies like the US, and countries that have special expertise in the recovery of firearms.
“For example,” he said, “5-10 Bahamian police officers would go to Israel and Canada and 5-10 of their officers from Israel and Canada would come to work in the Bahamas for a defined period of time to help eliminate the number of guns in our midst.
“This programme would enhance training, cross fertilisation, informed dialogue and decrease the incestuous nature of law enforcement so common in small countries.”
Dr Allen said such a programme would increase the morale, effectiveness and public accountability of the police force.
“Why can’t we recruit selected officers from other Caribbean territories to help us like we did in the past?” he asked.
“We have brought in foreigners to help us in construction, medicine, banking, teaching – even our electoral process.
“If our country is under siege by burgeoning violent crimes, should we not do everything possible to make our people safe?”
The idea of foreign officers may be more popular than commonly perceived.
Of the Bahamians polled for his report, Dr Allen said, around 14 per cent wanted no foreign police assistance at all.
Meanwhile, 41 per cent thought the Bahamas needed some type of outside assistance, and 45 per cent wanted only “high powered foreign officers” with special expertise.
Comments
banker 11 years, 4 months ago
Someone needs to police the police. The criminality in the RBPF must be eliminated first before crime in the streets can be fought.
larry 11 years, 4 months ago
it looks as if everyone is missing what is going on in this country there is no swift justice in this country the judicial system needs to catch up with a number of murder cases that have not yet been heard you can have one million police come from every corner of the world but when criminals are arrested after years waiting trial they will be released to continue with their criminal activities on bail. we need judges and magistrates
concernedcitizen 11 years, 4 months ago
click editorial go to insight and read "war on crime" by P Nunez
aloethree 11 years, 4 months ago
A call for help? We don'`t need foreign officers to come and patrol the streets of Nassau, neither do our officers need to go to foreign countries, Regional and International police officers meet annually to discuss issues, what they can do is look at and improve the training that are officers receive may it is outdated.
Exchange officers can not and will not make a difference, it will only be problematic for the Bahamian people as foreign officers can bring a bias attitudes and profiling that will cause the Bahamian people to not be accepting of officers.They do not know our culture and if they do it is a form of espionage as they are not Bahamians.
The police office are subject to scrutiny as well if they expose their tactics entirely to foreign officers This will cause division.
My advice train the officers better, take a look at how you train the officers, revamp training.
justthefactsplease 11 years, 4 months ago
The exchange programme can be a form of training where our officers get to work in a different environemnt and get to see how others do there policing. Also bringing foreign officers for short intervals will help to keep some of our offciers honest as they would be more skeptical of doing their dirty deeds in the presence of these "outsiders". I think it is worth a try.
Bahamianpride 11 years, 4 months ago
As a Bahamian living abroad this article is interesting. I work in Law Enforcement and have been a Police Officer in the State of New Jersey for the last 11 years. I am currently working in the Camden New Jersey area one of the worse Crime ridden Cities in the U.S. Growing up poor my way out of bad neigborhoods was through sports and education which allowed me to travel abroad. My folks still live in the ghetto so i am definitely not from money. There are some deep, neglected, social issues that are coming to bit us as bahamians in the ass. One of them is the neglect for the poor. Poverty is the main factor and all other negative consequences are the side effects including crime, ignorance, poor health care, self esteem and a disregard for morals, etc. In this world of Capitalism, man's survival depends on resources. First with all of the money that passes through the Bahamas the Government has failed to make major investments in reducing poverty and all of its negative side effects. Lets start with the schools, We can identify Children that are going through hardships immediately. This is where immediate counseling services, education, job training should be provided to families to ensure these kids are properly cared for . It is cheaper to invest money at this level rather than paying for incarceration later. Family counseling which include planned parenting, Religious counseling, psychological therapy if necessary. This will help as a basic long term solution to start. A lot of people will frawn on this but if you don't address these issues early u will have more criminals robbing and killing u. If People did not intervene in my situation I would probably be a criminal, instead I have a productive life and am college educated. I was lucky because Responsible people in the Community intervened.. Invested time, energy and there own resources to redirect negative factors. Politicians are to busy lining there pockets and taking care of there Cronnies and family members... Many will sell out the Best interest of the Country to Foreigners for there own financial advancement. No Patriotism..
The immediate Crime Problem. Lets start with the Police. I can remember as a young kid about 11 up about 10:00 p.m sitting on the block when a Van full of Police Officers pulled up next to us Slapped us all and told us to run. Poor kids being slapped hard by grown men, as apposed to escorted home to our parents by caring Officers... There are many good and kind police officers but generally speaking, this mentality that exist in the ranks. The Police force behaves like a Occupying Army rather than a Protector and Servant of the People. You must insituted immediate discipline for this type of Behavior, including criminal charges. Police Officers should be held to a higher moral standard and earn the public's trust.
Bahamianpride 11 years, 4 months ago
Deployment of Manpower and Training must be the focus in tackling the current problem. The Police can only Shift and Suppress Crime. 2700 Officers throughout the Bahamas are poorly deployed.. Nassau is 21 by 7.. As a police Officer I can tell you there are Officers Sitting On there Ass in Special Jobs collecting a Check for Nothing. Send them to the Street, People are dying and being Robbed. I don't want to see no RBPF Band or anything these people need to be in the streets.. I would deployed 90% of all manpower to the Streets on various shifts until crime is reduced by 80%... I would hold all of these Commanders personally accountable and discipline them if Crime is not reduced in there district...Reduce Crime of be fired....You do not need foreign Officers, You need accountability...
positiveinput 11 years, 4 months ago
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