Addressing Rising Violent Crime Levels in Barbados: Expert Calls for Stronger Police-Citizen Partnerships

Barbados is on the brink of a public health crisis from rising levels of violent crime, according to a criminologist who is calling for stronger partnerships between police and citizens to address the problem.

In a report entitled Organised Crime and Its Implications for Barbados, Kirk Alleyne who is also criminal psychologist emphasised the crucial role that civilians play in crime-solving. He urged The Barbados Police Service to prioritise strengthening its relationship with the public as it establishes a new Serious Organised Crime Unit.

“It is imperative that citizens be made aware that the country is on the precipice of a public health crisis and the need for their cooperation,” Alleyne wrote in the report. “All efforts should be made to improve the trust and confidence that citizens have in the police.”

Alleyne outlined a multi-pronged approach for tackling crime and violence, with police-citizen cooperation at its core.

“The citizen-police relation is one of the most important measures to stemming the rate of violent crimes and ensuring that persons do not operate with impunity,” he said.

The report recommended several initiatives to enhance trust and collaboration, including community outreach programmes, public awareness campaigns about organised crime dangers, and support for witnesses to improve public confidence. Alleyne also called for partnerships with schools, community centres and religious institutions to provide alternative pathways for at-risk youth.

While commending the government’s plans for the anti-gang unit, Alleyne suggested additional strategies such as intelligence-led policing, multi-agency cooperation, disrupting criminal financial networks and implementing monitoring systems.

He stressed the importance of international collaboration, saying: “Strengthened partnerships with international agencies and neighbouring countries to combat cross-border organised criminal activities” were crucial.

The report also highlighted the need for legislative reforms and policy measures to address socioeconomic factors contributing to youth involvement in organised crime, such as unemployment and lack of educational opportunities.

Alleyne urged the police to “embark upon trust building activities, whereby they operate with transparency, professionalism and accountability”. He added: “The collaborative relationship between citizens and police is crucial to ensuring a safe and stable community.”