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The Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) has been urged to embrace the use of technology, including social media, in its crime fighting efforts.

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Dale Marshall, urged the rank and file of the Force to post information on digital and social media platforms to highlight its policies and programmes.

“What you do is no big secret, and how you do it should not be a secret either. The harmful effects of the use of illegal drugs, testimonies of persons who were incarcerated, and who are now on the straight and narrow, all these are things that the Police Force can benefit from in terms of having them on the social media platforms,” he said, noting it would target the younger generation.

He made these comments as he addressed the opening ceremony of the annual Force Conference at Solidarity House recently under the theme Community Engagement – Framework for 2020 Policing Action.

Noting that applications for the Police Certificate of Character were being done online from March 2, the Attorney General also disclosed that Cabinet gave permission to purchase tablets for lawmen before the end of the current financial year to take the “drudgery” out of their jobs.

He also urged them to maximize the opportunities and use the technology to reform their processes and procedures to achieve greater efficiency in the way they deal with issues, such as minor road vehicle accidents.

Head of Research and Development with the RBPF, Inspector Mark White, also noted that the Force was compelled to manage the inevitable changes and organizational culture as Government undertook a comprehensive overhaul of the entire public service.

“This includes the ongoing digitizing of the Force’s Police Certificate of Character Office, and the strengthening of the Force’s technological changes, which demand a new approach to our policing strategies.

“The Force will make use of technology to improve its efficiency in the provision or utilization for advancement in … CCTV installation and upgrades; unmanned aerial systems; body cams; in car video systems; and other usable systems that provide tracking systems to monitor the movement of vehicles in the operational environment,” Mr. White said.

julia.rawlins-bentham@barbados.gov.bb

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