Protecting those who serve

We condemn the civilians who attacked the officer in the strongest possible terms. Such conduct cannot be condoned in a situation where officers daily risk their lives to protect and serve amid increasing levels of crime and violence.

We are fully cognizant of the fact that the police are often accused of using disproportionate force. Police killings of unarmed civilians in circumstances that cannot be defended must stop.

But that is no justification for a mob attack on an officer of the law. As a country, we cannot keep jumping between extremes. One minute police are murdering civilians, the next minute civilians are murdering police. This is a recipe for anarchy.

We should all be concerned about the recent string of incidents involving violence against police officers. And these incidents cannot help but remind us of the ominous threats issued at the police a few weeks ago by Laventille residents after a police shooting there. It may be that the police response to those threats – issued in the presence of none other than the top cop, Acting Commissioner Stephen Williams – was not adequately addressed. It is an offence to use threatening or offensive language at a police officer.

The much-discussed manpower audit of the Police Service must be expedited. We hope this audit will identify the areas where more resources are needed.

In the meanwhile, we note the complaints of officers who have had to work long shifts and in conditions where they have been forced to deal with aggressive crowds. There should be proper protocols to limit officers being placed in situations where they are vulnerable to attack. While we sympathize with those who hold the view that discipline needs to be upheld, it is no longer good enough to simply say police officers must do their jobs. We must be careful that we are not placing officers in invidious situations.

While we insist that they must deliver, we cannot leave them as targets. It is true that being a police officer is inherently a stressful and dangerous task. But that is no reason for the State to contribute to that by not giving officers the systems and resources they need to ensure they work at their optimum level. A tired cop is not a good cop. In fact, she or he is more likely to be a bad cop, especially when armed. This may well be a factor in the many police shootings which have so rightly provoked outrage.

The challenge facing officers, though, does not only relate to the Carnival season. It is manifest in failings that are becoming more and more glaring daily and in all walks of life. Not having adequate police cover affects a range of agencies, from the local government to national level.

A question must also be raised about the levels of training enjoyed by officers, particularly the Special Reserve Police officers.

Are those levels high enough? Even if we determine there needs to be more officers, how can we ensure a consistently high level of training? While Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has expressed the view that there are enough police officers, we still hope the manpower committee – led by former Independent Senator Professor Ramesh Deosaran – will be free to make recommendations on that matter. Whatever the outcome of the audit, the issue will be quality, not just quantity. For now, it is clear that we cannot afford to leave one policeman to man a crowd of 50 drunk Carnival revellers.

That is simply unacceptable.