Editorial – March 9, 2012
Governor Adrian Davis at his last monthly press conference in February said that there will be changes within the Royal Montserrat Police Service. He was expected to give details of the report emanating from the police internal investigation completed by visiting police officials from Bermuda and the Cayman Islands.
Before he made the statement he was fielding questions from the press about the resignation of Deputy Commissioner Paul Morris, that had just been announced days before. H.E also hinted that there were other investigations or studies taking place regarding the police service.
Today, and for some time the police leadership has stepped up its appeal for the public to give greater assistance by way of information in their attempt to capture law breakers and solve crimes.
Within the past few years the police have been training its complement of recruits and have been applauded for so doing. But just before this, the service (force then) began losing their young officers, the brighter ones and no ‘real’ or credible reasons were forthcoming for this. Meanwhile, it is said morale slipped, and in addition to that there developed serious reports of crimes which have remained unsolved. It also seemed that the police were losing most of their cases in court. This they blamed on lawyers and even jurors at times.
At the same time officials even when their goals seemed good, became corrupt in their own desires and their motives, losing their way when they couldn’t see or wouldn’t listen when it is suggested they were going down the wrong road.
In the meantime HMG had muffled our political directorate when they got the Overseas Territories to agree they should not interfere in judicial matters. That deserves some discussion, but suffice to say now, that we who were never guilty of any such matters, asked no questions and have suffered as a result. Signing on may have been prudent, but certainly it should not mean forsaking your people and say nothing when they may be wronged. It is costing from our allocations and weakens our position of negotiations. The result certain actions took place aided and abetted by own officials diluting the whatever strengths we held.
When the police quickly moved into top gear and refused to speak to, or communicate with The Montserrat Reporter(TMR), expecting that we should listen to ZJB radio, who themselves complain, repeat the little the police feed them, can they seriously expect the respect of the people? TMR never stopped making the case, but when the head begins to rot going to the top, it is only a matter of time before the whole begins to decay.
It is not surprising but it is strange listening to the deputy tell the people that “by not doing that analysis and not thinking what is different now, how can we do things differently…,” now that he is leaving the post after three plus years. This must be an admission that should not go unnoticed. It is quite symptomatic of the deeper problem.
Former chief minister Austin Bramble is calling for the same thing. He is echoing the call of many others but he like the others are calling for more than merely doing an analysis. They speak of going deep. The study that the Governor and his consultants are carrying out, need to be much more informed than they appear to be. That kind of information seeking will truly provide the opportunity for a newness that will be meaningful.
We hear much talk of community policing. The RMPF in 2003 won the regional Motorola Award for community policing and placed 2nd in 2005. We hear of it all the time but where is the beef. Its lacking in moral integrity.
