‘RVIPF needs to rebuild trust’, says Acting Assistant Commissioner
Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police, St Clair Amory has suggested that it is essential for the public to trust the police for them to effectively carry out their duties.
While appearing on the Talking Points radio show this week, Amory said it appears as if persons judge every member of the force on what they (individual officers) have done and not what the force has done.
He said there has to be someone in the force that people can feel confident enough to talk to.
“It is not everybody within the organisation that a person is going to feel, ‘yeah, I could talk to that person’. And for me, a lot of people actually send persons to me,” Amory said.
“You need to actually find somebody that you could speak to, but like I said, we need to actually build back that trust that has eroded over time.”
One of the challenges he said must be addressed in coming to the point of restoring public trust is the approach that officers take towards persons who they encounter daily. He noted that younger police officers need to know this.
“I continuously tell younger officers [to] always ensure that the approach you have to anybody is one where, I must say, you should have for yourself,” Amory said.
He said the sociopolitical status of the people officers encounter should not matter.
“Treat that person with respect. And in terms of you treating that person [well], then that sort of respect actually comes back,” he stated.
He noted that whenever officers encounter agitated persons, they have to approach the situation in a levelheaded way to get the person to calm down.
“You are able to actually talk to a person and not shout because they are shouting and bring them down to a level that you can actually have a conversation. I think that in itself; if we actually practice things like that, then we will get back to a point where persons are willing to say anything to us,” the senior officer reasoned.
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I am not trusting none. They act as if they can bully you and speak to you anyway they want. I trust none.
much work is needed because the police force is mainly corrupted at too many levels, especially where complaints are made against other officer abuse of duty. good luck
And let us start by the commissioner coming clean on his motives with that video. It may seem simple to some people but when you lie about simple things it makes you untrustworthy when it comes to the bigger things.
The police are not our friends and most of them don’t even know the laws they claim to enforce
If your not from Bvi don’t trust none..keep your head down and stay out of thing you here.All the police will sell you out..the current crowd are rotten
If you put lipstick on a pig it is still a pig
Thank You DPO! Your words are quite well spoken as should be coming from a seasoned and senior Officer. I do believe that a great deal of Public Trust could be ascertained if some of those Officers would humble themselves as human and treat others with respect despite circumstances or situations. Some Officers feel that they are the Law and can bully and intimidate Citizens because of their uniform and Profession. Professionals they are Not! It is hind time some of them take remedial training and advance advice from the Long Timers who were and still respect their duties and Citizens alike.
Once again, thank you Mr. Amory for these words.
It doesn’t matter your Nationality as an Officer, but your Mindset, Ethics and Intergrity is what builds on Public Trust. Some Officers need to Pay Attention and not seek Recognition.( good or bad) You working to Serve and Protect, not humiliate and disrespect.
We wont, we cant and we will never trust ayo
As far as I see;The police can only win back the trust of the public by turning a blind eye when they commit crimes
Coming from the same man who said infront my face his officers didn’t spray me illegally when I reported it last July
in 2021 and had a meeting with him amd Officer Williams. F&%$ THE RVIP.
I CAN REMEMBER THROUGH THE CURFEW TIMES SOME OFFICERS PULL ME OVER SO I DID, THEY THEN ASK IF I HAVE ANYTHING ILLEGAL I SAID NO BUT THEY STILL SEARCHED MY VEHICLE ANYWAYS AND FOUND NOTHING SO I THEN SAID HAPPY AND A GUYANESE OFFICER IN THE TASK FORCE ASK ME IF I WANT THEM TO HOLD ME HERE UNTIL CURFEW THEN LOCK ME UP, SO I AM SAYIN THAT TO SAY FIRE
I totally agree some of the Police Force don’t know enough about the law they are paid to enforce….
You are a good decent honourable guy. I will advice you that every establishment will have a few bad apples, when they show their heads you grab them by their Necks choke them, hold them accountable. To think that the force will be 100% clean it’s unrealistic, no law enforcement or other department is and will ever be.
the video is the facts that you and jokers like you still trying to hide ? ( but if it was your brother or family ,you would of been singing a different tune ) crawl back in your hole , you ain’t smell too ? good
In my interaction with the Police, lots of them are good guys. There problem, they are looking at others in the community and want to make bank. They are unhappy with their salaries and therefore corruptible. Lots of them are working second jobs doing security, which in a small community like this should not be done. The Governor would have a better Force if he works on a proper tier system within the Force where actual work and dilligence in your job gets you promotions and salary increases. The Police Force is a serious place to work and having our officers making friends with the boys on the street and don’t say a word for other persons who they do not see in the Court system makes me very nervous. Not even a hello and it isn’t because they are playing tough. It is because they show no caring for the community which they serve.
The bottom line is Virgin Islands law enforcement needs to develop a culture where the corrupt Officer fears the incorruptible Officer and not the other way around. Seize the time. Be Brave.
Sir: it would be good to take a survey and see how the public feels towards you . Then you would have a better understanding of how you can build public trust.
Once you know the problem why there is not trust then you can work on a solution . In the meantime this is only talk
I help to educate one at Secondary level
; they pulled over a person I was driving with … Stop the vehicle
For no reason at all not even a broken headlight … and you could have heard the aggression and manner in which she spoke . Dumb like fish can’t even put a report together but showing off with one one even answering back … the aggression
Was as if the were about to handcuff a criminal
This goes for everyone in the BVI.
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Just because someone has authority or power doesn’t mean they should abuse it.
Just because others are doing it, doesn’t mean its okay.
This is all.
Police officers have a challenging job in more ways than I think most people understand. That being said there are inefficiencies and challenges to overcome.
The majority of my interactions with police officers have been negative. Here are some constructive criticism.
1. Officers need to State their name and Ensure the person knows how to contact them if a follow-up is needed.
2. Since you have to deal with the same police officer from the original incident, the officer should schedule a follow-up meeting with you.
3. If a written report is needed, having a form someone can fill out on their own time. It is not necessary to spend 4 hours at the station watching someone learn how to type.
4. Wearing a badge should not be seen as power over the people. Lead by example. You have police writing traffic violations and committing the same ones. Police that are rude and try to bully you from the beginning of the interaction.
5. Police officers need to follow up on on matters reported. You can go to the station and report something and feel pretty certain it was forgotten about as soon as you walk out the door.
Respect his commanded not demanded.
Get rid of the bully attitude. And yes lots of them work as security and they have even worse attitudes while working security than the security who are not also police.
They are very close to being criminals because it’s obvious they plot in their minds while mean mugging pedestrians and feel entitled to taking advantage of you if the opportunity arises.
These people believe their job is to bully, mean mug, be rude and walk with a chip on their shoulder and thinking they are not a public servant. They think they are there to fight the public. They think they can take you down so you need to respect them.
News flash they are a bunch of p666y hiding in the ranks of the largest gang on island yes rvipf is more like a gang of foreigners than a local police force meant to SERVE and PROTECT all citizens.
Come down to earth and we might believe you are brotherly humans instead of devils flying high.