Atherley: Operation Restore Order must not infringe on law-abiding citizens

Leader of the Alliance Party for Progress (APP) Reverend Joseph Atherley has thrown his full support behind the Barbados Police Service’s latest initiative to arrest the country’s worrying gun problem.

However, he is hoping that Operation Restore Order, which will see soldiers from the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) join forces with police officers, does not infringe upon the rights of law-abiding citizens.

Last Thursday, Commissioner of Police Richard Boyce announced that the new unit would be established to mainly target persons engaging in firearm-related crimes.

Speaking to Barbados TODAY, Atherley admitted that tough action was needed to give Barbadians the assurance that law enforcement had the situation under control.

And while he said he agreed with the inclusion of BDF personnel in the crime fight, he cautioned that the unit had to operate within the confines of the law.

“There is a trend of talk now across the Caribbean that the wave of criminal activity, especially with violent, gun-related crimes, is such that we should see that as a public health threat. That is fine. But if by that you mean you are going to respond to that by enforcing states of emergency and serious police powers such that the rights of citizens are either abridged or infringed, I am not for that at all,” said the former opposition leader.

“I think justice must always obtain. I think honest, well-meaning, decent citizens must always be assured of their freedoms, and though we must move as strongly as we can to combat the criminal element, we cannot do so at the expense of the liberties of civic-minded people and people who are doing their legitimate businesses.

“I support harsh measures but I want to be cautious that we don’t drift towards such policing powers with the presence of the army on the streets such that we become desensitised to the dangers associated with that,” he added.

Atherley also repeated his suggestion that Barbados seek “outside help” to tackle the crime situation.

He maintained that this was not a knock on the Police Service, but an acknowledgement of the seriousness of the current crime situation.

“I personally have advocated and I think the Government needs to seriously consider bringing in outside help for investigative purposes, especially as it relates to gun importation, the obvious gun trade that is going on, and the gun use here on the ground.

“Of course to do so will cost Barbados some money, but I do not know that you can consider an expense like that to be wasted because, the truth is, when you consider what we stand to lose, what is under threat because of this crime wave – we stand to lose our reputation as a place of social tranquillity, of law and order, a place where tourists can come and enjoy themselves, we stand to lose a lot,” Atherley said. 

randybennett@barbadostoday.bb