Police band ‘SOS’

After 130 years, the future of the Royal Barbados Police Force Band is being threatened by a lack of fresh blood, a member of the police high command has warned.

But Deputy Commissioner of Police Oral Williams’s suggestion that Government lower the age for entry into the police cadet corps from 16 to 14 so as to replenish numbers, was met with scepticism from the minister for the police – Attorney General Dale Marshall.

Marshall was present as Williams spoke at a medals ceremony to mark the band’s anniversary at Prince Cave Hall at the band’s headquarters, the St Cecilia Barracks at District ‘A’ complex on Station Hill.

Directing his comments to the Attorney General, Williams said: “Like the general force, this institution is short-staffed.

“The situation I am told has nothing to do with the non-existence of applicants ready to join the institutions. Currently, we have no cadets on our premises.”

“The previous practice of bringing staff in at age 14 was based on the principle of being able to bend the tree while it is young.

“As it stands now we have to wait until age 16 and then until age 19 in order for them to become a constable.

“This state of affairs must change if the band is to survive and perform the way where we are internationally recognized.”

The Deputy Commissioner revealed that in the meantime, stop-gap measures have had to be employed in order to ensure the band’s continued survival while making it clear that this state of affairs was untenable.

Williams said: “I have had discussions with the management of the band and made suggestions to avoid a diminution in sound quality and performances occasioned by the sparsity in numbers, at least for the short term.

“We can’t afford to do business as usual and lose this institution.”

As he followed Williams with his own speech, Marshall gave an assurance that the issue would be addressed but expressed doubt about lowering the recruitment age for cadets.

He declared that that police band was too vital an institution to lose, as it remains one of the key examples of the softer side of policing, one that is loved by all Barbadians.

Marshall said: “Even when some members of the public seem to be losing respect for police officers as they do their jobs in enforcing the law, everybody in the police band is loved by the public.

“It demonstrates the other side of policing, outside of the show force and apprehending criminals.

“The side that the Royal Barbados Police Force band represents is an equally important side.”