#TurksandCaicos, May 14, 2022 – The question many concerned citizens in TCI are grappling with is, can our law enforcement department effectively combat crime while building trust within the communities it aims to serve and protect?

It begins with finding creative ways to help communities and law enforcement agencies strengthen trust and collaboration, while continuing to reduce crime.

In a small developing nation like TCI with such close-knit communities, gaining the confidence of citizens is of paramount.

What could be a setback is, any community already dealing with uncontrollable and an unsolved spike in serious crimes, citizens will be more reluctant to trust the police or report their suspicions.

Just for a moment, let’s forget about the optics and actually look at the reality to determine why there is such a disconnect.

In the public’s eye, a common sentiment shared by many revolves around the process of how law enforcement respond not only to serious crimes but petty crimes and their ability to solve them.

A good citizen has a moral duty to report crimes committed against persons or property. Likewise, there needs to be sense of security and anonymity when reporting their concerns.

I’m inclined to believe our dedicated police officers are only doing what they are trained to do. Nevertheless, if the public perception differs, maybe it’s time for the leaders to reassess the level of training that’s being provided.

There are several ways to rebuild citizens’ trust. For example; responding to citizens’ reports in a more expedient manner, showing more empathy, being transparent with investigations and providing follow up information on potential suspects.

In my opinion, some of these areas that do not meet the expectation of the public and are lacking in some respect.

Being proactive with policing tactics is also in question.

Case in point, have there ever been any surveys conducted to determine how citizens view police, their confidence in policing tactics, how much they support them, trust them, and so on?

If the police expect the public to engage in crime reduction, citizens must feel confident that regardless of the level of crime it will be taken seriously. Lack of the aforementioned could result in decreases in public trust of police.

Culture within a police department also plays a pivotal role, because building trust should be embedded in the culture of policing.

The head of an agency certainly sets the tone, but it’s also necessary for the immediate supervisors of the officers on the ground to have an incentive to appropriately carry out their duties. That’s where some of the hardest work is done.

Grand Turk in particular, appears to be a training ground for new police recruits. Unfortunately, it comes with pros and cons. If it result in a high turnover rate, this could have an adverse impact on how officers interact with the communities.

I’m afraid, if our communities continue to have a sense of distrust in policing, our young men and women might be reluctant to explore policing as a career opportunity. This will leave the county with no other alternative but to recruit foreign police officers.  There should also be zero tolerance for rogue officers. The objective is to impose rules and punishment high enough to shift a rogue officers’

cost-benefit analysis.

Sadly, like any other civilized country, there will always be a certain level of crime, but I’m afraid this current trend

draws an uncanny parallel to pre-pandemic crimes.

When it comes to curbing serious crimes, we can’t continue to move the goal post and become desensitized with this level of violence. This year, it may be 20 homicides next year it will be 40. Where do we draw the line and say enough is enough?

The public’s perception of how police matters are handled should not be taken lightly. Unless citizens feel like their voices are being heard, they will continue to stay in their own lane.

At some stage in the game, whether it’s perception or reality, our leaders will need to be held accountable.

From a holistic approach, here are some thoughts to ponder.

Improve communication by exposing to the general public the identity of all suspect upon formal arraignment.

As concerned citizens, we also have to get to a point where there is less focus on social media propaganda, and more on our own voices and ideas.

It’s also important that law enforcement control the narrative and debunk the spread of misinformation. Failure to do so only creates fear and distrust among the masses.

With that being said, citizens shouldn’t have to be researchers to find crime data. Henceforth, To counter sensationalism and the spread of misinformation, there should be timely information delivered to the public in addition to public access to crime statistics.

The political rhetoric with Tough-on-crime policies is only part of the solution. This is evident based on the increased violence the country is currently experiencing despite the harsher sentences.

Some may herald it as the best response to violent crimes, but I beg to differ. It will only serve to criminalize some of the same people who continues to deal with the most loss of life and trauma in their communities.

Withstanding the current climate on crime, when was the last time a police representative reached out to a victim or loved ones from various communities where gun violence happened and try to elevate their voices and experiences? This is all part of addressing any existing gaps in public relations.

The old cliche, “talk is cheap”, is playing out right in front of our eyes on social media platforms.

We should be asking ourselves what am I doing, what are you doing to assist your communities in reducing crime? It’s a shared responsibility.

The police acting alone cannot achieve success, as crime is everyone business. Therefore, until some of these steps becomes reality, only then will we began to see a shift in the public perception with a trickle down impact on resolution of crime.

Ed Forbes,

Concerned citizen of Grand Turk