Dear Editor, I read with interest a report by Dr. David Allen. While I agree with some of his findings on the root cause of the crime situation and some of his recommended remedies, I strongly oppose the bringing in of foreign police from Canada, the UK and Israel for the following reason. We have had personnel from the UK on our police force for over a 100 years and whereas a few of them made valuable contributions to our force, the majority of them would have been better off remaining where they came from.
The attitude and culture of personnel from those countries would wreak havoc on the administration of our force. One only needs to look at the problems that the Trinidad and Tobago government is having with just two such persons in its police force. No sir, we need foreign police like we need a hole in our heads. I served for 21 years on our police force from the colonial era, with expatriot officers (gazetted) from the UK and personnel from the Caribbean. I have had the opportunity of working in that situation for that period and I would not like ever again to see our men and women in the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) subjected to such an environment.
I also saw where the good gentleman William Bratton praised our police force on its efforts in the fight on crime. It should be remembered that every major city in every country on this globe has a crime crisis on its hand. New York, from which Bratton hails, is no exception and that includes the major cities in Canada and Israel. To bring in foreign personnel on our police force now, or ever, will only serve one purpose and one purpose alone: that will be to demoralize the men and women of our police force.
I will be the first to admit that we have a problem in our force and indeed the country; but I will also agree that we must first identify the cause of the problem and as Bahamians come together in good faith to find adequate solutions. Whereas Dr. Allen went to great lengths in pinpointing some of the causes of our crime situation, he, in my opinion, missed the major root cause and thereby missed one of the main solutions to our problem. We as a nation have climbed the economic totem pole too fast, and in our haste have left behind our true values as a Christian people while embracing the mantle of greed in chasing the syndrome of materialism.
There is a maxim in the art of self defense that says, "For every hold there is a counter." I have always been of the view that for every crime there is a motive, for every ailment there is a cure and for every situation there is a solution. Then why do we find our crime situation so difficult that we must push the panic button and in doing so put at risk the excellent, devoted and unselfish service of hundreds if not thousands of our own dedicated police officers by advocating the bringing in of foreign officers? Dr. Allen has identified most of the major causes of our present crime situation, but missed the major one. Those areas identified can be adequately dealt with by the parents, community organizations, the church and the law enforcement agencies.
One of the things that Bratton recommended was political leadership and ironically that is the segment that is not only missing, but the main root cause of our crime situation. And like a boil, if the core is not removed it cannot be healed. If the political directorate was really serious about fixing crime in this nation, it would carry out its mandate to the force by providing it with the tools necessary to do the job, leave the administration and direction of the force to the commissioner and his team. This includes the promotion and postings of individual officers to positions that are well suited to their qualifications and training and not being posted willy-nilly on recommendations by the political directorate. This system has, over the years, from the PLP's first administration been the singular most disastrous and demoralizing effect on our police force.
The force has lost a number of top notch investigators because of this process. If one were to check out the method used by Bratton during his tenure as chief of the New York Police Department, one would find that the method used by him was one used since the advent of policing that is, "police presence". There is no substitute for this method. Do not take my word for it, check out Cuba and other countries that use the system.
This government need not bring in foreign police personnel or advisors to advise it. They are already here in the persons of retired police officers who have vast experience that can be utilized to help bring the crime problem in this country under control. There is a lot of expertise and experience out in John Q. Public that can be put to good use. Wake up politicians. The future of this nation is at stake. Use what you have. The mental syndrome that if it ain't foreign it ain't good, is a myth. Depoliticizing the force will be the first step in the right direction. Errington W. I. Watkins
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