Media can help the police

ACTING Commissioner of Police Everald Snaggs believes  the media could gather intelligence for the Police Service.

“The media has a critical role to play in information dissemination to the public as well as intelligence gathering for the Police Service. “We must build trust and respect between our organisations and ensure that there is a continuous flow of information, while making certain that confidential information is treated as such.” Snaggs spoke to heads of media houses yesterday at a meeting hosted by Ken Gordon, Chairman of a Government-appointed committee to find ways of dealing with the crime problem. Snaggs feels that the media and the police can work together in the fight against crime. “Many serious crime investigations attract substantial amounts of press interest. If effectively managed, the media can make a significant contribution to investigations by acting as a conduit for information from the general public.” The acting CoP believes the media can assist the police in deterring the youth from entering a life of crime by encouraging them to engage in positive activities. He feels the police must work with other agencies if crime is to be reduced.

Snaggs said the police are implementing a zero tolerance policy. “However, we can never hope to beat crime by acting alone, especially when it comes to interfacing with members of society — we, the Police Service, need the cooperation of the other agencies charged with law enforcement to help us control deviants.” He said the Police Service was the lead agency to enforce the laws of the country. He believes the Service is ready to confront any problem. The addition of 1,000 Special Reserve Police officers will assist the police in the fight against crime, he declared. The appointment of the 1,000 SRPs is just one of the strategies to deal with crime. On the issue of alleged corruption in the Police Service, Snaggs pointed out that if officers are involved in wrong doing, they will be dealt with by the law. “This Police Service is a very mature organisation. I disagree with the BBC report that corruption is endemic in the Police Service. That is totally misleading.” Snaggs was pleased that there have been no kidnappings over the past month, but declined to say why. He did say that there was an increased police visibility throughout the country. He thanked members of the public for their cooperation and patience with the series of road blocks being carried out across the island.