Probably the United Nations Committee on Human Rights and other bodies are currently analyzing the viral videos on April 12, during the Bus Drivers’ protest in Canefield. There, Police Officers mercilessly kicked, punched, slapped, shot, gang tackled and violently arrested people without probable cause and unprovoked.
Some say that the police acted like out of control gang members who were trying to reclaim their territory. There appeared to be no command and control and de-escalation efforts. The level and proportion of brutality was unnecessary, uncalled for and unbecoming of a professional police department.
So why are these police officers acting with such reckless abandon? This disturbing pattern is nothing but a culture that has been created and is being promoted due to arrogance, entitlement and impunity. These bad actors in the Force taint and eclipse the good, decent and brave officers who do their jobs in accordance with the law, their oaths and training.
It is a well-known fact in law enforcement circles that the worst enemies and nightmares of good cops and police departments are not only vagabonds with guns and those who are problems and threats to public safety, but also bad, corrupt, dirty and ignorant cops. Also in functioning democracies, far worst enemies of good policing are incompetent, arrogant, weak and politically handicapped and compromised commanders.
Do these officers get adequate or appropriate training, and have qualified, committed and uncontaminated (political and bias) leadership? And are they persuaded and guided by hand-outs, favours, nepotism and the likelihood of promotion? Also are they influenced, urged and prejudiced by the myopic, self-serving inflammatory, incendiary and irresponsible public speeches and monologues of senior Government politicians such as, “Espionage; Enemies of the State; and No one will put a gun to my head?” Well in a democracy with confident leadership, all voices should contend and alternative opinions and positions are needed and should be encouraged.
Equally disturbing is the response of the protest action by the Transportation Minister, Senator Cassani Laville. Can the Senator address the COVID stimulus package Dominica received and compare and contrast it with other Caribbean island states and what was given to the citizens? Please don’t mention Hurricane Maria and small interest loan. Also can he provide a credible explanation of the alleged ~$1.3 Billion that are unaccounted for? The protest action was a cry for fair treatment and consideration of ordinary working Dominicans who are trying to feed their families and who have the constitutional right to peaceful protest under the law.
Senator, these are the same people (Bus Drivers) who voted for your party and its foreign based handlers in the 2019 election when big money flowed non-stop like manna from heaven. With all due respect Sir, may be during your next passionate plea and speech to Bus Drivers and the media, you can reveal (if you know) where all the complicated and internationally entangled ways where the big money came from and via what means it got to Dominica.
But it might be a good thing to put your party’s leadership and its handlers that by their actions Dominica might be sitting on the edge of a precipice. In the late 70s, the same law enforcement lawlessness was present with the Dominica Defense Force (DDF) and its high powered and arrogant political sponsors. When the smoke cleared, we witnessed the demise of DDF, one court execution, jail time, destroyed lives and families and the near destruction of Dominica.
Arrogant men in uniform, highly paid government lawyers and influencers, civilians in high places and powerful politicians thought they owed the town and were above the law. DDF had the green light from those in power to brutalize and kill Dominicans at will. They fail miserably and epically. Are we on the verge of this again? Those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it.
Another example of another epic failure was in 1986 when the corrupt Haitian Dictator and his greedy, extravagant and obnoxious wife Michele, (who attended Cabinet meetings) were forced into exile. For decades Duvalier and his powerful and vindictive security apparatus terrorized the Haitian people unabated because they were completely in charge. Immediately after his regime fell, the streets of Port- au- Prince became a river of blood and its buildings became an inferno until the U.S cavalry arrived.
While Baby Doc was sipping expensive wine in his opulent chateau in the safe and secure confines on the French Rivera, his militia secret police (Macoute), went into hiding or escaped across border to the Dominican Republic Border. Thousands were rounded up and punished severely. Even today Haiti has not recovered from the excesses and abuses of the former President for Life.
Is Dominica heading in that direction and destination? So it’s imperative that the Dominica Police Force and government realize that the world and the U.N Committee on Human Rights are documenting all its actions.
@% April 22, 2021.
Well my response to that observation is %…
Aristotle the Greek philosopher who lived from 384-322 BC is quoted as saying: There is only one way to avoid criticism; Do nothing, say nothing and be nothing: Dominica belongs to all us whether we currently reside in downtown Washington DC, in the middle of La Plaine or in the middle of Roseau.
I’m with you there Dr Finn but in this day of information I just can’t believe you quote Aristotle. Those Greeks were known thieves. They stole all their sayings and philosophy from walls of tombs, temples, pyramids and papyrus in Egypt, Africa after Alexander ther Greek invaded, defeated egypt and gave Aristotle, pythagoras, Hypocrates etc all access rights to plagiarize, steal and attach his name to over 1000 books, an infamous feat impossible in one lifetime. They then burned down the original sources. JFYI.
Very good comment. Dominicans need to wake up and ask questions and insist on answer. Otherwise our beautiful country is lost to these wolfs and their enablers in government.
This article is laden with facts, very instructive and should be a warning to all those law breakers in high public office.
The present police force of Dominica can be accurately described as an armed mob of hooligans. In recent times they have not only savagely brutalized unarmed and law abiding civilians but healthy men have died in their custody.
When the head of government gives incendiary speeches, lies incessantly and lives in unimaginable opulence while many thousands of his countrymen live in abysmal poverty, something has to give.
Just think about this. Dominica is one of the poorest countries in the Caribbean but has the wealthiest leader. Only corruption can account for this.
Unless the people wake up and take back their country, police brutality, abject poverty and unrelenting tyranny will be the lot of the people.
I was in shock when i witness ” a George Floyd look alike incident” last week. This picture rank way up there with the George Floyd incident when it comes to law enforcement officers’ behavior.
Two differences between the to incidents: (1) The presence of a white offending police officer and (2) Mr, Hesrom George didn’t die. Even both victims share the name ‘George’.
I second the motion. It’s a well written article that MUST be recognised and attended to by someone who is openly an intellectual, intelligent and knowledgeable of the policies and knowledgeable of good governance, loyalty to police offices of Good Governance and decency in addressing our people with respect, decency and courtesy at all times.
Our Police Officers MUST be knowledgeable and show empathy and appreciation on their duties with respect and authority in addressing and apprehending People who go above the Law and not be disrespectful to our Police Officers but engage them and listen to them as they undertake their respective Tasks to honour the Uniform and to ensure security and courtesy at all times from all of our people, be they Police Officers, Ministers, teachers parents, families and everyone else who are part of us irrespective they’re vagrants on the street sleeping or begging. They need to be respected and engage them even for 5mins.God🙏is good. Blessings and love.
This is an excellent article, Well put together.
Policing is what emanated from SLAVERY, Slave chasers they were known as, until England created an institution of this inhumane body in St Kitts and Barbados. Back in the day, Bajan, Kititian and Antiguan trained policemen was the “GO TO” for most of the English speaking Caribbean Slave Colonies. Protect and Serve is really a Fallacy, at first, the Slave owners paid the police/Slave catchers as they were known then to protect their property, at the end of chattel, they were drafted into the Colonial Gov’t to protect their interest. A vast number of present day police men/wo have no history of the police force, all they know is that, it put bread on the table, and the respect of man, while strutting in their feel good attire of oppression. There have been no reform of de police post Slave/Colonialism, modern day so-called black leaders advocate the same doctrine that have kept them shackled the past 400+yrs, it serves their advantage. Black on Black HATE it has been then and now.
BobD you back at it again. Put down the bottle and leave the hard liquor alone.. Me a warn you!
BobD was a likkle deep there on the history/origins of today’s policing but what’s your issue Ibo, the writing style or you didn’t quite get it ?
Ignorance is bliss with you isnt it Ibo France? Do your research.
Dr. Finn is right. Arrogance, lawlessness, and lack of accountability at the top level of our government have bred lawlessness in the police service. As a result, lawmen have killed persons in custody, arrested or kidnapped MP Danny Lugay, held him on the grounds of the Morne Bruce palace, and also beaten democracy activists peacefully gathered before police headquarters. The police also falsely arrested Juwanza Stewart and Lynworth Mitchell and held them for two days for flying a drone. They were released without charge. A bus driver was beaten mercilessly with kicks like a dog while on the ground by police who ganged upon him. The Chief of police, the President and the Prime Minister said not one word of condemnation on these acts of lawlessness. Lawlessness in high places seeps into the fabric of the society. We need change now.
You have a point there Dr. Finn – and I note yours is a real doctorate and not an honorary one. To me the current Dominica police force appears to recruit people, not based on their intellectual prowess but brawn whereby loyalty to Roosevelt Skerrit is a prime prerequisite. It reminds one of Hitler’s infamous brownshirts with their brutal and thuggish behaviour and forerunners of the notorious SS, which was formed as Hitler’s personal life guard. We too have our similarly named SS, a unit of the police force but managed separately to keep the leadership safe and I don’t think they would hesitate to take even the regular police rabble to task should the Leader (Fuehrer in German) be threatened.
Are we living in a dictatorial police state? The answer is yes.
Dr Finn, i am so happy that negative criticisms cant ‘Shut you up”!
What we are seeing on island by hooligans and thugs of the Maniku gang parading as police officers is sickening at the least. It is the fruit of the era of the Parl rep police…Many of those guys got there because parl reps recommended them. As a consequence they don’t see themselves as people serving the state, but instead they are Skerrit’s loyalists. They are wicked, badly trained, bad communicators and surprisingly they instigators of trouble. They start the trouble in all the protests..
I am really hoping that the bus driver takes action against those thugs, and that we the people push back when our rights are so violently infringed upon.
As for Cassani, he cant codemn the police because he will be jobless…! Those guys principles have fled to brutish beast!!!