Can law enforcement continue to operate in the same way they have been doing and survive in today’s world? Are they safer now? What must they do to face their troubling reality?
These were some of the soul-searching issues tackled last month when the Caribbean Institute for Security and Public Safety collaborated with the International Police Association, United States Section, Trinidad and Tobago Foreign Associate Region 101 and other organisations in a four-day international training seminar on Officer Safety held in Trinidad.
The well over one hundred participants benefitted from the following training areas—firearm retention, tactical emergency medicine, use of force, vehicle stop and search techniques, intelligence and organised crime, terrorism awareness, public order policing, stress and trauma management, professional communication skills and many more.
An interesting international trend observed was that in years gone by, people generally respected those in authority and voluntarily complied with the law to a greater degree than today. However, as time passed, things changed significantly and notably not for the better.
Law enforcement officers now function in an environment of resistance. People are more aware of their rights. Officers have an increased “duty of care” to be very conscious in the manner they operate so that no infringement of rights or injustice is perpetrated against the very public they swore to serve.
It is now, therefore, critical for law enforcement officers to have a better than average understanding of a wide range of issues including psychology, sociology, communication, law, politics, religion, etc. if they are to be relevant in today’s reality.
Long gone are the days of simple brawn and muscle. Today’s officers have to be an intelligent, well-trained, certified and qualified professional who is able to meet the demands of the 21st century.
In this new dispensation, officers must be able to address problems not only at the legal level, but also in the context of the human condition where many of our social problems are derived.
In such a modality, law enforcement officers would have a better than even chance for the public to conceptualise them as problem-solvers and human beings that have a vested interest in the community.
This approach can act as an antidote against the negativity that is commonly associated with law enforcement officers as well as form the basis for the building of public trust.
The problems we face in the areas of youth development, deviance and crime are real. These issues pose a challenge of considerable proportions for the country’s leadership, law enforcement officers and every right thinking citizen.
The latest threat posed to this country by terrorist groups comprising largely of radicalised youths cannot be ignored. To do so, would be at our own peril. Our way of life is under threat and law enforcement agencies have an urgent mandate to address these meaningfully.
To achieve this, the approach must be holistic. We must introspect as a society as to why our youths are attracted to such extremes. According to the news, some of our young people have crossed the line and joined these nefarious groups.
Is the developmental process inclusive of our youths where they feel that they have a stake in society? What is it that we are not doing as a society that leaves our youths vulnerable to such dangerous ideology?
As a country, we must pay urgent attention to what is taking place with our young people for it is in their hands that our future lies.
The time has come and gone when security agencies can rest on their laurels with the prevailing preoccupation being the protection of “turf.”
The threat posed by radicalism of our youths by terror organisations is far too serious for such outdated thinking. All agencies must lock arms with a “common purpose.”
This also rings true for the private security industry that now must be seen as having a substantial contribution to make in the area of enhancing public safety and security.
To this end, much more resources must be directed to developing the country’s security industry human resource capability as well as its technological assets. In this regard, this seminar was a very good start in the right direction.
Arising out of this training, there was a renewed effort by law enforcement officers to go back to their respective agencies and share what was learned and to strengthen the relationships within their respective agencies as well as other agencies.
Only via greater inter-agency collaboration can the country hope to effectively face the severe challenges ahead. In fact, the flow of intelligence and even personnel across agencies may eventually be the new norm in the environment of anarchy and disorder.
Given the challenges, one may ask, is there hope? The answer is “absolutely yes!” However, bear in mind that if we are to make Trinidad and Tobago a safer place for all, we must work together as a cohesive unit. In these times, the clarion call is made for “all hands on deck” to help shape our society into something that we can all be justly proud of.
The Caribbean Institute for Security and Public Safety conducts a range of training for law enforcement, corporate and private security, supervision and management, first aid and CPR, fire warden, prison, and many more areas. Contact us at 223-6999 / 222-8347, info@caribbeansecurityinstitute.com, www.caribbeansecurityinstitute.com
