“Improving the public’s trust and perception of the police is necessary if efforts to improve public safety are to be successful”, posits the Regional Security Services.
According to Christine Stanford, Superintendent of the Barbados Police Service, this goal can only be realized when community members feel they are being treated equitably and receive respectful service.
She made these remarks while addressing sixteen officers from various RSS member states (Dominica has been a member of the umbrella organization since 1982), who recently completed a two-week Community Policing training session.
The course was organized by the Regional Security System (RSS) Training Institute, with assistance from the 11th European Development Fund Project.
Superintendent Stanford emphasized that police officers currently face difficulties in establishing positive relationships with the communities they serve, largely due to a past marked by negative encounters with law enforcement and ongoing socio-economic challenges across generations.
“One would expect that public trust and backing for the police would be at an all-time high when crime rates are low… but despite low crime figures and highly trained officers, public perception of the police remains unchanged,” she explained. “Research indicates that people are less concerned with actual crime statistics than with how they are treated during police interactions.”
She further noted that even if individuals have not personally experienced mistreatment, stories from friends and family often shape their views negatively. “Those bad stories tend to linger,” she said. “Rebuilding trust within a community that has experienced damage can most effectively be achieved through individual positive interactions.”
The police official urged officers to actively listen when community members share their perspectives, clearly communicate their intentions, explain the reasons for their actions, and uphold the dignity of those involved. She asserted, “If every community officer adopts these four principles during their interactions, it will significantly enhance cooperation and overall support from the community.” Stanford also stressed that community engagement should be a core focus for law enforcement at all levels.
To foster genuine engagement, she recommended that officers prioritize inclusion, effective communication, empowerment, and feedback. She emphasized that “investing time and resources into community engagement will inevitably yield positive results in the long term.”
Alessandro Tedesco, Team Leader of Security Justice and Human Rights at the European Union, expressed pride in supporting this initiative and praised the community police officers for their vital work. He highlighted that such officers are often able to detect subtle signs in neighborhoods—such as street markings, lyrics, or other local indicators—that might otherwise go unnoticed but can provide valuable insights into community issues.
Director of Strategic Services and International Affairs, Rhea Reid-Bowen delineated the challenges police face in adopting a more citizen-focused approach. She explained that the RSS organized the course as part of its effort to professionalize police forces across member states while promoting a more inclusive and participatory approach to crime prevention.
Mrs. Reid-Bowen remarked, “It is this ongoing effort to build trust that will allow community policing philosophies to flourish. When citizens are willing to cooperate with law enforcement and seek security-oriented solutions, it creates an environment conducive to effective crime control and community safety.”
This echoes the sentiment expressed during the recent graduation and passing out ceremony for 59 new officers, the largest cohort, to date, in Dominica. During the ceremony, the Chief Instructor, acknowledging that the tides are changing with regard to policing, announced that two new areas of focus had been introduced to the Dominican syllabus: “community policing and internal security.”
