The high command of the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) has defended its policy with regards to the treatment of officers in the current COVID-19 climate.
Deputy Commissioner of Police responsible for Investigations Erwin Boyce said today the RBPF has a clear policy and protocols which are guided by the Ministry of Health and its own internal procedures related to how officers should function in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Boyce was responding to a story published by Barbados TODAY in its Wednesday edition where president of the Barbados Police Association (BPA) Mervin Grace called for a clear policy on how the administration was dealing with members during the viral spread.
“I can tell you for a fact that the men are under stress at this point and a lot of issues still have to be worked out as far as the administration is concerned. We are waiting to hear from them. What we will require from them is a clear policy on how we are actually dealing with the officers in relation to the COVID issue,” Grace insisted.
But Boyce is adamant that the health and safety of all its officers are top priority.
“Our response is that there is a very clear policy and that policy has been in effect for a while. We work with the medical people and with our own protocols to ensure that the officers’ health and safety are being safeguarded,” the deputy police commissioner told Barbados TODAY.
The police association president had also said that too many complaints were being made to its executive of officers being told to turn up for duty even though they are still awaiting COVID-19 test results.
“That is a complaint I have been hearing for a while. I don’t think it is the policy of the force, but that is what I have been hearing from a lot of members that they are asked to come out before receiving results and I don’t think it is right. But we are waiting to hear from the administration on this issue,” Grace stated.
However, Deputy Commissioner Boyce insisted that instructing police officers to report for duty while awaiting test results, is not something the administration would do.
“There are protocols in place…we consult with the medical people in terms of ensuring that people…their wellbeing and their health are protected at all times. And we would not be asking a person to return to work unless the medical [officials] had said to us that the person can return to work,” he said.
Boyce added: “There is consultation in the process and we take direction from the medical persons in relation to asking people to return to work or people returning to work…and our protocols support that approach.”
The deputy commissioner stressed that he was not aware that police officers were making complaints of being asked to turn up for duty before their COVID status was confirmed by health authorities.
He told Barbados TODAY if in fact there were complaints they should be brought to the Commissioner of Police or the deputy.
In response to the police association president’s disclosure that he had spoken to the deputy and was waiting on feedback, Boyce pointed out that it was not him. There are two deputy commissioners of police in the RBPF. (emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb)
