Cops can never be counsellors

THE EDITOR: Please allow me some space in your newspaper to give an example of why policemen and women can never be made into counsellors. I have written this many times before that one of the characteristics of a helping person is that of being non-judgemental. Policemen and women by training and it appears these days, by nature, are judgemental beings. Here is a scenario, this is reality people. This actually happened. It is not a movie. A woman who is subjected to abuse goes to a police station. She was told by another police officer that the police service provides counselling and that she should avail herself of the service. She goes into the station and meets with a policewoman. The woman who is not accustomed to frequenting police stations gets tongue-tied and says: “My husband and my son were fighting last night.”

This is the policewoman’s response: “Is your son on drugs?” Woman gets upset at this question, she says: “No” Policewoman’s response: “How do you know?” This is a classic example of the judgemental nature of the police. That policewoman should have listened. Listening is one of the hallmarks of good communication and people skills. Please, our country is in crisis and we must become more sensitive to each other. That young man is not on drugs. That young man is a victim of abuse like his mother. His father is a bully and taunts and eats away at his self-esteem. His mother is also a victim and she was looking for help. She did not get that help in that police station. If there were to be a home meeting with that son and father, the police would have gone there with a preconceived notion that the 15-year-old son is a drug addict.

I am begging for help for our young men, the many young men who are basically very peaceful and full of hope that things will get better for them. If we judge them before we get to know them and the situations in which they find themselves, we will only send them over to “the side” of hopelessness and despair. They end up saying “You do, you eh do is de same thing so bes yuh eh do nuttin.” It is easier for them to give up than to work toward a better life. If our young people are to be helped to become the best that they can be and be full of optimism and hope, they must understand that there are people out there who believe in them and genuinely want to help them. It appears that the Community Police as a group is not equipped (trained) with the people skills to do this. Some one do something for the sake of the future.

ANNA MARIA MORA
Counselling Psychologist