Following is the text of a lecture delivered by Anguillian Historian, Mr. Colville Petty, OBE, to the Royal Anguilla Police Force on monday January 26. His address in which he covered the above matters, was part of activities marking the 37th Anniversary of the Police Force.

Police Officers at the Lecture at Police Headquarters

I deem it a distinct honour to have been asked to address you on this the 37th anniversary of the birth of the Royal Anguilla Police Force. When I was approached about speaking to you, I quickly grasped the opportunity because it is not very often that opportunities like these come by. I am particularly pleased to address you so that I can applaud your professionalism and your role in the maintenance of law and order in Anguilla, thereby ensuring that Anguillians live their lives in relative safety. I should add that, by ensuring peace and tranquillity, you have contributed, and continue to contribute, in a big way, to Anguilla’s economic growth. And I say in Bible language, “Well done our good and faithful servants”.

I am aware that your efforts in the execution of your duties have not been without difficulties, setbacks and numerous obstacles. Indeed, a major obstacle has been a non-supportive Anguillian public which are yet to demonstrate that they fully appreciate that the combating of crime is not the role of only the Police but of all the people. Most certainly, the combating of crime is everybody’s business for there is no way the Police on their own could successfully reduce or control it. It is a matter of all hands to the plough – a matter for all the people – for all social, political and other institutions on the island.

The fight against crime calls for the forging of a symbiotic relationship between the Police and Anguillian society. I am aware of some of the partnership efforts which have been pursued but I am not sure if they are being sustained. I refer specifically to the establishment of the Police community choir and band, the community groups which you pioneered, the neighbourhood watches and the signing in 2001 of a contract of cooperation and mutual respect between the Police and the Anguillian community. If those programmes are faltering, they need to be revived because they are critical components in our fight against crime. Every effort should be made to ensure that community policing is strengthened because it is an excellent way of involving people in the solving of problems within their own communities. Also, it makes the statement that the community is a partner of the Police in the performance of their duties.

Police Officers at the Lecture at Police Headquarters

I now return to an observation I made earlier: that a major obstacle in our fight against crime is the people themselves. They need to break out of their culture of silence and provide Police with the kind of information which could assist them in solving crime. I often remark that policemen are no magicians. Very seldom are they witnesses to crimes, so they could only solve them if the people who witness them, or who have some knowledge of them, come forward and advise Police accordingly.

Having said that, it is my view that the people’s perception of the Police may have contributed to the culture of silence. Some people see the Police as enemy, and some see them as friend. And if the Police in their fight against crime are to combine their efforts with those of the wider Anguillian community, then they must so conduct themselves that the community recognise them as friends – that the community perceive them in a positive light. The police must have the support, trust and confidence of the people they serve, if they are to succeed in their work.

Lecturer, Colville L. Petty, OBE

Towards that end, the community must see the Police Force as comprising officers who are trustworthy – who could keep a secret – and not as officers who betray their informants. When a member of the public gives the Police a tip, the Police must not betray him by calling his name because you can rest assure that no more tips will be forthcoming from him or from anyone else for that matter. After all, the news will go around that the Police “does call names”.

I go on to say that if the Police are to get community support in the fight against crime, the community must perceive them as a Force which treats everybody equally: not one type of treatment for the rich, and another type for the poor. This perception could cause people to say, “who dem police for dem for”, and consequently results in public resentment of the Police. Indeed, people always despise preferential treatment which certainly tarnishes the Police image and alienates those persons who normally support them.

In support of my argument that the people’s perception of the Police is an important determinant as to whether or not they support them in the fight against crime, I put forward the view that the support would come if, in the execution of their duties, police officers observe the golden rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If you are arresting an offender, treat him the way you would like to be treated if you were the offender. Put yourself in his place. Put yourself on the other side of the law. For example, if it were you being arrested, would you like being roughed up or kicked? Certainly, not. Therefore, I admonish, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, and the community would admire, respect and support you.

Of course, be pleasant to people in the execution of your duties. Do not show off. Do not embarrass people. Avoid being rude. In short, be courteous. As regards courtesy, I am going to tell you of an experience I had many years ago, not with any police officer, and not in Anguilla, to make a point. Some twenty years ago I went to England and, on passing through customs at Heathrow Airport, I took the exit which read “nothing to declare”. A young lady from Anguilla who was on the same flight followed me and we were both held up by the customs authorities and searched. I assumed that we were stopped and searched because we were black, for I saw all the white folks passing through without being searched and, to be quite frank, I was most unhappy. The customs officer took his time and gave my suitcase a thorough searching, and while he did so he asked me all kinds of questions: how was my trip? How was my family back home? What was Anguilla like? Was it true that Anguilla had some of the best beaches in the Caribbean? And so on.

When the officer had finished with me, he wished me a pleasant stay and I walked away with no hard feelings towards him. You know why? In the process of doing his work, he made me feel at ease – he made me feel comfortable. He had a job to do, but he did it in such a way that I went away admiring him. He had rummaged through my luggage but he was polite and pleasant about it. The point which is being made here is that oftentimes police officers are called upon to undertake difficult tasks, but they could perform those tasks in such a way that the offender is not left bitter but, instead, left with an appreciation that the officer was simply carrying out his duties.

Having said that, the late Lord Anything (Eric Saunders) readily comes to mind. I wrote in The Anguillian, following his sad passing in November 2006, that “no matter how difficult the circumstances, and problems with which he was confronted, he always treated people like people.” And I also mentioned how a chap told me that it was a pleasure to be arrested by Sergeant Lord Anything, because though you were wrong he made you feel like somebody. Lord Anything was stern, yet caring.

In furtherance of my remarks about being courteous, I must emphasise that irrespective of the crime a person may commit, the Police are obliged to treat him or her as a human being. Irrespective of the crime, offenders are entitled to be treated with human dignity and you must do all in your power to protect and uphold their human rights. I take this opportunity to caution that if you want the community to join you in combating crime, please avoid at all costs the police mal-practices which you see or hear on television like, for example, beatings in police cells and the planting of evidence to get a conviction. Such practices turn people, even law abiding citizens, against the Police. I do not hear of such practices in Anguilla, but I admonish you to keep it that way and bear in mind that our Police Force must be subject always to the rule of law and must never become a law unto itself.

This brings me to the issue of complaints from members of the public about Police misconduct. The way in which these complaints are handled could impact the community’s perception of Police either positively or negatively, and could therefore influence the extent to which people are prepared to combine their efforts with Police to combat crime. In this regard, our Force needs a transparent, honest and effective complaints mechanism which allows aggrieved persons to seek redress. The person assigned to that task need not be a police officer but someone who is understanding and objective and who is a good listener. The operations of the mechanism should be such that it does not intimidate complainants.
I now refer to another type of complaint: one where someone goes to the Police, makes a report about, say a burglary or theft, and hears nothing about it thereafter. That practice – that attitude – could never get the community on board in the fight against crime. In my view, the Police should provide the complainant with written periodic reports, on the matter, until it is finally dealt with.

Incidentally, I am of the view that a Police of the Year Award would be a good way of encouraging officers to give of their best to the people they serve. One way of doing this, after having determined the criteria, would be to ask members of the public to submit names of officers who they think are deserving of such an award. Or the selection could be done internally. However chosen, a Police of the Year Award has its benefits.

In furtherance of my endeavour to focus my address on this year’s theme, “combining efforts to combat crime in 2009”, there are two institutions of government, apart from the executive, which need to be on board with the Police. One is our Legislature. It needs to be part of the efforts by setting penalties and other forms of punishment which deter people from committing crime. It makes little sense for the Police to catch criminals and the penalties set by our Legislature are laughable.

The second institution of government which needs to be on board with the Police, in their efforts to combat crime, is our judiciary. It makes no sense for the Police to be tough on crime while the courts, on the other hand, are soft on crime. It is de-motivating at times when the Police, after several months of difficult and sustained investigative work, brings a man to court which, on finding him guilty, gives him a slap on the wrist. The fight against crime calls for the courts and the Police to be singing from the same hymn sheet. There needs to be harmony between them if we are to succeed in fighting crime.

An aspect of our judiciary, which has bothered me over the years, is trial by jury. I hasten to make the point that when criminals are apprehended, the guilty ones, and only the guilty ones, must be punished according to law. However, all too often our jurors have said “not guilty” when the evidence against the accused has been strong, convincing and overwhelming.

I have long held the view, which I have publicised, that trial by jury in Anguilla is a joke, and that Anguilla is too small a society to have trial by jury. In an island like ours, where everybody knows everybody, and where everybody is family, it is most difficult to get convictions. In my view, it is only the small man, or somebody with nobody, that the jury convicts. If things continue this way, and if the situation gets worse, consideration may have to be given to replacing trial by jury with trial by, say, a panel of three or so judges, but for sure, Anguilla has a very poor history of justice through trial by jury.

However, that should not discourage the Police as a professional force, from doing whatever it takes to protect the Anguillian people from those elements among us who do not want to abide by our laws, customs and traditions. I am hopeful that in the not too distant future, all Anguillians will appreciate that the fight against crime is a matter for all of us, and I am beginning to think that most of us are coming to the realisation that crime will destroy our peace and tranquillity, and our way of life, if we do not pool our resources and energies in the fight against it. The Police weekly press briefings certainly bring home to people, the gravity of the crime situation, and go a long way in making them aware that it can be no longer business as usual and that they must be part of the fight against crime.

Indeed, there is a noticeable change – a mental change – in Anguillians attitude towards crime. Without that mental change all efforts in the fight against crime would be a waste of time. And I want to credit the Police with contributing to that mental change through their various outreach programmes. One such programme which I commend highly is the DARE programme which focuses on the youth. I urge you not to abandon it. The youth needs it and Anguilla needs. And Anguilla needs the Royal Anguilla Police Force. Keep up your good work. Be resolute, professional and caring. And accept my best wishes for a rewarding Police Week 2009.

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