The Growing Challenge of Respect for Authority and Trust in the Barbados Police Service

The life of a police officer is not the most desirable. The hours are long and the compensation does not account for the risks to which such public officers are exposed.

We in Barbados, for the main, have exhibited a level of respect for our police officers and those whose responsibility it is to keep us safe. But one could argue that more people are willing to challenge the authority of lawmen and are brazen in doing so.

Members of the Barbados Police Service should not believe that they are being targeted as a specific group to be objects of disrespect, for it is an unhealthy state of affairs that is spreading.

All forms of authority and established norms are being challenged in a way they have not been maybe three or four decades ago.

A growing number of citizens are not prepared to simply follow instructions without question. They want to assert their rights. They want clear and meaningful reasons why they ought to follow a rule.

What has complicated the matter of respect for authority is the issue of credibility. Most people will be respectful of those who are respectful of them. As a rule, people will respond with greater compliance when they trust the source of those instructions.

It is against this backdrop that the public discussion about falling trust in our Police Service is centred.

There is an acceptance that most of the men and women of this august group of public officers are people of integrity, officers who take pride in their work, and want to ensure that this country is kept safe for citizens and visitors alike.

However, behaviour by police officers such as was captured in two viral videos, serves to undermine the history of exemplary service provided by our lawmen.

On the other hand, there are well-documented cases of inexcusable police misconduct, reports of suspects being beaten in dark corners of police stations, or being subjected to unjust treatment to elicit confessions.

In fact, concerns have been raised at the level of the judiciary about the high rate of confessions elicited from suspects who were charged with criminal offences, including murder.

It was, therefore, a courageous and correct step for the government of Barbados to take the decision to have our officers outfitted with body cameras to accurately capture their encounters with the public.

It is a protection mechanism for the public and the police officer amidst complaints of mistreatment and accusations of unnecessary use of force.