Body cams for police

In a move to hold members of the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) more accountable, against the background of claims of police harassment, Government has ordered approximately 200 body cameras for officers to wear as they carry out their duties.

Attorney General Dale Marshall made that announcement on Sunday at a meeting of the St George North constituency branch meeting.

“I know that in recent times there have been claims about police harassment and police [mistreating] people and so on. I can say to you that we have put in place the purchasing arrangements to purchase at least 200 body cameras.

“We have said to the police this protects you and the people that you go to deal with, because when you have on your body camera they can say ‘he come and kick down my door’ but the video will show what was the truth. So that is a measure that we are putting in place to deal with the issue of accountability,” Marshall explained.

The Attorney General added that it was the responsibility of Barbadians to assist lawmen, wherever possible, in their investigations of crimes committed in their presence.

He also urged residents to come forward and say something if they saw or knew something.

“Remember, please, that you and I, we each have a role to play in helping the police deal with these things, because when you call the police after the crime has already taken place there is nothing much you can tell them. But before, you can tell them that you see a fella walking up the road and he had a gun in his pocket. You can tell them you saw someone behaving suspiciously,” Marshall said.

“I am not asking you to behave like a police state and be calling and saying ‘you know, my neighbour outside in the yard and I see him put something in the roof’. That is not what we are about. I just want to underscore that in order to help the police to do the job that you want them to do, you have to play a role in it,” he added. (SB)