Cops pledge to keep up the crime fight

Police officers in Barbados have pledged not to retreat nor surrender to gun-toting criminals despite the senseless shooting of one of their own late Saturday evening.

Acting Station Sergeant Newton Lewis, who was off-duty at home at the time, was called out by neighbours to render assistance at a shop, where an armed robbery was in progress near his Rose Hill, St Peter home. He was met with bullets from the gunmen and died on the spot.

Commenting on the tragedy Tuesday evening, President of the Barbados Police Association (BPA) Mervin Grace said members of the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) while deeply worried about the rising spate of gun violence would not cower from protecting their communities.

“I have spoken to some members and, just like me, they are still willing to respond when called upon. But the public must remember we are men and women first,” Grace told Barbados TODAY.

He also pointed out that even though police officers are trained to act with caution in the face of potential danger, every outcome is not predictable.

“You cannot predict every circumstance that will happen. You can only attempt to assist members of the public. It was unfortunate that my good friend has been dealt with this position. But all police officers are trained and he was also a very highly-trained police officer, that is why he was the protection officer for the commissioner,” the association head pointed out.

“All the training in the world cannot prepare you for every single circumstance… cannot. The most we can do is to try our best to assist both the members of the public and ourselves and our families,” Grace said.

The association president has however issued an appeal to members of the public to cooperate with the police in the fight against crime and not see them as enemies.

“In terms of the crime fight, I want to remind the public that it isn’t every incident that you may see the police as your enemy. The police is not your enemy. The police is there to help you, to assist you. All the assistance you can give to the police in relation to any incidence of crime, violence, indiscipline in the community, it comes back home to you, It helps you when you help the police,” he stated.

“So my advice is if you know something, say something. It will help you in the long-run. It is not just the police you are helping, you are actually helping yourself when you help the police to solve all matters of crime in Barbados,” Grace added.

While acknowledging that rising gun violence was adversely impacting the country, the BPA president lamented that a law enforcement officer has fallen victim to it.

He expressed condolences to the family of his colleague. His death, he said, had hit both rank and file very hard, because he was known by all.

“The members are extremely saddened. We all knew him personally and that is why it is hitting us so hard,” Grace said.

“We are sending our condolences to the family. We will try to make a courtesy call on them soon…we are giving them a little time to grieve,” he added.

Grace said there are many lessons that can be learned from the tragedy, among them,  police officers are humans first and would always go to the rescue of friends or neighbours when called upon.

“Before police, we are men and women and police second. We know that we are always called upon whether we are on-duty or off-duty…and as you would know, we are never off-duty. But at the same time, we too have to remember that we are only human and when called upon by our friends and neighbours, we will try to respond,” the BPA leader told Barbados TODAY.

The fatal shooting of the officer, who was the driver of Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith, was the first police gunned down in the line of duty in over 30 years.

His service weapon was also taken by the assailants.
(emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb)