The answer to that question is quite simply no. The fact that it still occurs in Antigua and Barbuda is a testament to how far we have yet to travel on the road to greater accountability from our law enforcement officers. On this episode we talk about an independent police complaints agency for Antigua and Barbuda.
The idea of an independent agency has been suggested twice by Public Safety Minister Steadroy "Cutie" Benjamin, who is also Attorney General. Benjamin spoke of an independent authority back in 2020. His most recent suggestion came around the same time that a video circulated widely in Antigua and Barbuda showed a high ranking police officer confronting a seemingly unarmed man, then a shot ringing out off camera. The police are investigating. But if we're being honest, the public has little to no confidence in internal police investigations.
The integrity of internal police investigations was an issue in the wake of the Delano Forbes 2020 not guilty verdict in his trial for escaping lawful custody due to the scandalous nature of Forbes' 2018 escape. There was also the scandalous handling of sexual harassment allegations against the former Commissioner of Police Wendell Robinson in 2018. Clearly, an independent authority would do some good. It could remove the risk of bias, foot-dragging, and cover-ups from investigations involving police and give the public confidence in the outcome of such investigations.
But how should it be led, and how should its leaders be appointed? Should it handle criminal complaints against officers, or just professional misconduct complaints? Who should it answer to? A minister? Parliament? Should it just supervise police internal investigations, or should it have its own investigators to do the job itself? Should it have the power to charge, to arrest, and to prosecute? Or should it merely send recommendations to the Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions? These are the questions we answer in this discussion. The host is Kieron Murdoch. The guests are:
This programme first aired on NewsCo Observer Radio 91.1 FMon March 21, 2021. Get the latest news from Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua Observer online.
