Friday, March 17, 2006
Community policing model being viewed
By JIMENITA SWAIN, Guardian Senior Reporter
jimenita@nasguard.com
The Bahamas' urban renewal model is one that will be taken world-wide as members of the International Association of Chiefs of Police are in town taking notes.
With two international awards for the urban renewal community policing model, the Royal Bahamas Police Force hosted the Association who will also begin deliberations in selecting next years' community policing winner.
The group was received by the Deputy Prime minister and Minister of National Security Cynthia Pratt during a breakfast meeting at the British Colonial Hotel.
"The community policing of the IACP is responsible for refining, sharp tuning, and ensuring that best practices are developed and shared throughout the policing community," she said.
In 2004 the Royal Bahamas Police Force was awarded the Motorola Caribbean Region community policing award and in 2005 the ITT Night vision international community policing award, she highlighted.
"The urban renewal programme is the epitome of our community policing initiative," she said, as it aims to revitalise the urban renewal areas, to improve conditions and put a stop to criminals' stronghold on communities.
Today more than 102 countries are represented in the IACP with a membership of over 20,000.
She noted that the IACP had launched several highly acclaimed programs and has been in existence from 1893. "Its has been on the cutting edge of the policing profession and has greatly assisted in the modernisation of policing practices, emphasising a service oriented approach to effective and efficient policing in the 21st century," she added.
Commissioner of Police Paul Farquharson said he was recently appointed to help advance the concept of community policing and the objectives of the IACP in the Caribbean region and in Central America among the Chiefs of Police.
With such international acclaim from the Association, Mr Farquharson said more money will be pumped into the programme which falls directly under the prime minister's portfolio.
In addition, the commissioner said community policing was a big plank in the prevention of crime.
Chief Russell Laine, the 3rd vice president of the IACP commented that "The Bahamas police are considered one of the leaders or the leader in their programmes. That's one of the reasons why we have come."
Chairman of the Urban Renewal programme Stephen Dean was also appointed to the IACP to assist in spreading the message of community policing.
The IACP has been the leaders in the law enforcement community for more than 112 years in the United States and around the world. The Association has worked to foster co-operation among law enforcement agencies, research new technologies and develop new training protocols and procedures.
Copyright © 2006 The Nassau Guardian. All rights reserved.
