Barbados has seen a significant reduction in serious crimes this year.
That was the information that came out of this year’s Christmas Message from Commissioner of Police Richard Boyce.
The statistics showed that the murder rate in Barbados this year was seven people per 100 000 which is down from last year’s 15 per 100 000.
There were also reductions in other violent crimes, including those by firearm.
Likening policing public safety to the curse of the Greek mythological character Sisyphus who repeatedly rolled a boulder uphill only for it to roll back down again, Boyce was quick to highlight the importance of the synergy between the work in the Police Service and the support of the general public.
“Over the past several months, there have been sustained and targeted operations to address these threats to public safety. These initiatives among other things resulted in the seizure of several illicit firearms. Much more is yet to be done and we remain committed to fight the battle.”
Key to the effort to engage the public has been the signature project, the Prince’s Trust International Team Programme. It is a 12-week developmental programme tailored for at-risk young people between the ages of 16- and 25-years-old.
“It teaches them life skills and how to build resilience.They are also introduced to a range of tools to enable them to become responsible members of our society. The programme enjoys strong support from charitable organisations and the business community as well as specialists from various disciplines. It has an enviable record in job placements for persons who enter the programme. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all who have contributed to this effort,” Boyce said.
However, there have been some worrying statistics to come out of this year’s report. The Commissioner of Police noted that there has been a concerning increase in the number of fatalities caused by traffic accidents.
“To date, there are 17 fatalities as compared to eight for 2022. This almost matches the number of persons who died from violent crime this year. Coupled with this, is the disorder in public transport, more so in the privately owned element of this service,” he said.
“The lack of discipline is palpable, and it is a massive inconvenience to the travelling public. We in the service have reviewed our strategies in this area and have concluded that greater enforcement on our part is unlikely to be the only solution. Hence, there is a strong case for greater oversight by the regulatory agencies responsible for licensing these units.”
In their attempts to improve the quality of policing provided to the general public, the Police Service has continued the Change Management Initiative. It seeks to address procedures and processes right across the service to improve efficiency and the use of resources and delivery of services to the public.
The result of the initiative has seen significant progress made towards equipping the service with modern technology such as body-worn cameras, in-car videos, close circuit television and electronic notebooks. (JC)