Vision 2020 needs change in attitude

THE EDITOR: On occasions, I am deeply amazed at the behaviour and orientation of some police officers at varying levels. The fundamental purpose of this letter is a result of a personal encounter with police officers during a “road block” exercise. Whilst I applaud the government and by extension, the police service on their new crime initiatives, I need clarity on the process, because a “road block” as I understand it to be, should be holistic in terms of the search. However, it appears that only your driver’s permit and insurance are necessary (as was requested from my husband.)

Surely, if this is the process, then drivers would be allowed to escape with illegal items both on their person as well as in their car trunks. But apparently, instead of using a holistic approach in their search, these police officers prefer to use “intimidatory and pedestrian” language to make their point to drivers. My own observation tells me, that the behaviour of some police officers, is a clear manifestation of their own insecurities, anxieties, inhibitions, lack of self-confidence as well as their limited educational attainments. My own view is that the Police Service should arrange for selected officers (at both junior and senior levels) to attend training sessions in “Customer relations” and “Basic Literacy and Numeracy.” This training can only be value-added to the individual officers, and by extension the Police Service. In closing, I wish to reiterate that the philosophy of “Vision 2020” will never be successful unless attitudinal change occur, and I refer specifically here to law enforcement officers. I was privileged to interact with law enforcement officers in the United States of America, Canada and England and, there is definitely a huge gap in attitude and approach between international and local officers. The change must begin now!

MARY LOU BROWN
Port-of-Spain