Cherry Picking Crime Statistics

I'd like to point out an excellent letter to the editor by Guilden Gilbert Jr. who notes how the UBP have cherry picked crime statistics from the last 8 years rather than the 10 years of data that have been available.

Mr. Dunkley seems to arbitrarily choose to compare the 2006 crime numbers to those of 1999, instead of going back as far as the statistics go on the Bermuda Police Service web site (www.bermudapolice.bm) which go back to 1996, the PLP did not become the Government until 1998.

In 1996 there were 350 total crimes of violence and within that number were six murders and six attempted murders. In 2006 the total crimes of violence was 305 with three murders and two attempted murders. Between 1997 and 2006 the total number of violent crimes did not exceed 336, which means that the highest annual number of violent crimes occurred under the UBP watch. Mr. Dunkley says that the burglary rate seem to be at the highest ever, yet in 1996 there were 223 burglaries and in 2006 there were 37. In fact in 1997, still under the UBP watch, there were 299 burglaries, which is the highest recorded. Also 1997 saw the highest total break-in offences with 1,241 compared to 2006 with 1,142.

Mr. Dunkley states that robberies are at their highest rate in 10 years, again he is incorrect as according the Bermuda Police statistics 10 years ago, 1997, there were 429 total crimes of stealing and in 2006 there were 263. The highest recorded number is 512 in 1999, which means that robbery/theft has actually declined overall in the last 10 years.

Nice work Guilden.  Glad to see others using statistics to back up their arguments and point out cases of cherry picking the numbers.  While evaluating the number of police officers he notes:

there are currently about 450 police officers in Bermuda or one police officer for every 149 people. If the number of police officers Bermuda has on a per capita basis existed in any other jurisdiction that jurisdiction would be labeled a police state. New York City has a population of approximately 8.2 million and a police force of nearly 39,000 officers or one officer for every 210 people. The United Kingdom has a population of 60.7 million and a police force of 139,000 officers or 1 officer for every 437 people.

Interesting information, to which Guilden asks "Is it not the job of the Commissioner of Police to make sure the officers under his charge are properly deployed to actively prevent crime?"  Given the number of police officers in comparison to other jurisdictions, this is a question that should be explored in greater detail.

However, Guilden also asks "Has the PLP Government not given the Police Service a healthy budget?", to which I have dedicated some time researching into what various individuals have said and the conclusion presented was that many believe the Police service is short on overall resources.  Beyond this there was also the detail that he pay contract for Police Officers expired in 2004 and has yet to be negotiated.

So, while I agree with Guilden with regards to the UBP cherry picking the numbers and the questions of whether there may already be enough police officers, I still have my doubts with regards to healthy funding.

Policing resource shortage continued

Continuing evaluation of Senator Burch's desire to have the governor delegate control of the police force raises today's question of whether the responsibilities Senator Burch already has over the police force are being managed effectively.

An earlier piece concerning Policing in Bermuda noted:

Sen. Burch has made numerous calls for the Governor to do more to address Bermuda's policing difficulties or hand over control, suggesting that he cannot do his job effectively because the Governor "is solely responsible for the Bermuda Police Service".  Is the issue with policing a lack of control?

Acting Police Commissioner Roseanda Young suggests that it is actually government, not the governor, who is responsible for the number of officers on the island, along with recruiting, training and equipment.  That due to the resources available, response times of police officers improved as a result of realignment in terms of shifting officers locations of patrol and start times, not the addition of resources. (emphasis added)

Interestingly, in today's Royal Gazette Superintendent Michael Desilva suggested that the aim of recent restructuring in the Bermuda Police Service (BPS) was to better use the limited resources the BPS has at its disposal.

"Much of the feedback to date from our officers centres around operational logistical issues, including the need for more vehicles. The perennial staff shortage in the BPS is also an issue." said Supr. Desilva

"However, given the shrinking resource pool, the BPS does not — and should not — deviate from its training standards."

(emphasis added)

Yesterday's Royal Gazette quoted Assistant Police Commissioner as having addressed the islands drug problems by suggesting

"There is a significant problem which clearly outstrips the resources Police and other agencies have to combat it effectively."

(emphasis added)

More recently, via a police officer who wrote in to the www.politics.bm blog suggested:

"[There aren't] enough cars for the new CAT patrol units, or the extra people in the station during the overlap created by the new shift system"

"The people of Bermuda surely aren't aware that the police pay contract expired in Oct 2004. This is supposed to be a three year contract expiring in Oct 2007. They haven't even come to the table yet."

So, in recap, we have the Acting Police Commissioner, the Assistant Police Commissioner, the Superintendent along with an off the record police officer who are all suggesting that lack of resources are a core issue as to why we have inadequate policing.  Yet none have supported Senator Burch's claim.

So, here are the questions to ask yourself. 

One, why is it that our Premier feels it is important that he has a motorcade of 3 police officers when we have such shortages of resources which are causing increasing thefts, break-ins and violence? 

Two, if the government is ultimately responsible for resource allocation, as Acting Commissioner Young suggests, why do we have a wide segment of our police service suggesting that resource allocation is inadequate? 

Three, how is it possible or even acceptable that the police pay contract still has not been negotiated in what is approaching three years?

Four, if the government cannot adequately manage the responsibilities that it has now with regards to the police service, how could it be expected to manage additional responsibilities?

Are the responsibilities held by government over the police force being managed effectively or should the governor delegate greater control of the police force to the government?

Solution to the drugs problem: more power or more resources?

According to Assistant Police Commissioner Bryan Bell, the solution to the drugs problem is to give police more power.  This while former police officers are suggesting that many of the issues stem from major reductions in the narcotics departments and less officers walking the beat.  Do these issues continue to point to a lack of overall resources in terms of manpower and problems with the structure of the Bermuda Police Service as suggested by former officers?

According to Mr. Bell

"A lot of drug dealers' activities are run on cash. They have numerous ways of developing their wealth and attempting to legitimize their assets.

"One of the areas of discussion we are having at the moment is looking at a change in the legislation to provide for what is known as civil forfeiture of criminal assets.

"It basically means you can go after someone who you can show to the courts of having gained their money from criminal means without having to necessarily convict them of a criminal offence.

"It's done in the UK at the moment with the asset confiscation agency."

Interesting.  Googling asset confiscation agency turns up little.  What actually is turned up is the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) which, in June 2006 BBC News reported it as 'failing' and in January  of 2007 it was reported as abolished through it's amalgamation with the Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA).  Reading these reports gives a clear indication that the largest failure of the ARA was that it cost far more to run than what it ultimately recovered and that court processes were arduous as authorities fought to seize criminal assets.  Would such an agency have success for Bermuda in curbing drug dealing as suggested by Mr. Bell?  What impact would this have on our courts to have a rise in even more cases and would this proposal ultimately be worth the cost?

Another suggestion came from Former National Drugs Control Minister Wayne Perinchief, who recommended that we copy Britain's Anti-social Behavior Act to enable a speedy crackdown on homes used as drug hangouts.  But Mr. Bell interestingly suggests anti-social behavior order (ASBO) laws are extremely bureaucratic and involved hours of work before they could be put in place.

"The idea that you just wheel someone into the court and get an ASBO is not what happens in reality.

"Many councils have to employ lawyers just to maintain ASBO's and the actual number taken out are still relatively small. "

How would an ARA have a different impact if it were to result in similar needs with regards to courts and bureaucracy?  Other criticisms of ASBO's include the lack of anonymity offered to young offenders and that because ASBO cases are heard in civil courts, complaints do not have to be proven beyond reasonable doubt, but merely judged on the balance of probability.

Former police officers interviewed by the Mid Ocean News contest that current issues with the Bermuda Police Service stem from restructuring that have "reduced the narcotics and criminal investigations departments to half their size and removed community officers from its roster completely", an "absence of an overall strategy for policing the island" along with recruiting and training problems.  All of which point to issues with regards to the ability to recruit and train manpower resources both locally and abroad. 

What is the solution to the drugs problem?  Should we be giving police more legislative power through the introduction of an Assets Recovery Agency or Anti-social Behaviour Orders or are these issues stemming from a lack of resources and problems with the structure of the Bermuda Police Service?

Policing in Bermuda

Is very confusing.  What is the problem?  Is it lack of control?  Is it lack of resources?  Is it politicking? 

Sen. Burch has made numerous calls for the Governor to do more to address Bermuda's policing difficulties or hand over control, suggesting that he cannot do his job effectively because the Governor "is solely responsible for the Bermuda Police Service".  Is the issue with policing a lack of control?

Acting Police Commissioner Roseanda Young suggests that it is actually government, not the governor, who is responsible for the number of officers on the island, along with recruiting, training and equipment.  That due to the resources available, response times of police officers improved as a result of realignment in terms of shifting officers locations of patrol and start times, not the addition of resources.

Government MP Ashfield DeVent lashed out at the apparent response time improvement by contending that drug dealing occurs around the clock in his Pembroke seat.  He suggests "A few months ago when Police made a bigger presence in my area I was the first to commend them." yet had also suggested that there were "people complaining that there was too great a Police presence".  "Now I don't see the Police and the drug activity is 24/7 — it's in broad daylight." he contends.  Is this due to the restructuring of resources to other areas?  Does it point to an overall lack of resources as officers must be moved from patrolling one area to another in order to cope?

Mr. DeVent suggests, "In regard to response times I would like to see the figures. There's a perception among many people that they are not all that quick."  But he then suggests that many residents don't bother calling the Police because they feel nothing would happen.  If that is the case, why does he believe improved response times would make a difference?  Has it not been previously suggested that drug dealers post lookouts and scatter if the police arrive?  Thus, would response times make any difference for his constituency in comparison to the patrols that once occurred before resources were restructured?

If the issue isn't so much about response times as it is the number of officers on patrol, does that fall under the responsibility of government as suggested by Acting Commissioner Young? 

Mr. DeVent has previously supported Sen. Burch's call for the governor to relinquish powers over the police suggesting the Governor has ultimate responsibility for the Police service under the Constitution so must be held accountable for its failings. “The buck has to stop with him,” he said.   Yet earlier in the piece he suggests that government controls the budget and how much taxpayer money is allocated to fund the service so doesn't that mean the literal buck stops with the government and not the governor?  Do resources not equate to funding and does this raise the question of whether it is adequate?

Is this a question of the government needing control over the police force or is it one of a lack of resources available for police perform it's job adequately?  Is it possible the government is under-funding and under-resourcing the police service yet contesting that it isn't doing it's job effectively?  

Policing in Bermuda is very confusing.  What is the problem?  Is it lack of control?  Is it lack of resources?  Is it politicking? 

Does our island's drug policy breed criminals?

Today's Gazette outlines an article entitled "Don't put me on the stop list" about a 22 year old Bermudian youth who was found with .4 grams of marijuana on his person.

Possession of marijuana is against the law, however the potential punishment of posession heavily outweighs the risks of use. 

Lets assume this individual had been given a criminal record and put on the "stop list".  This means he would effectively be barred from travelling to the US and potentially other countries.  Should he care to further his education, his options for doing so would be limited.  Should he care to take a job he would also be limited to one that does not include trips off island.

Certainly, Magistrate Tokunbo is free to ask the question of "Why didn’t you think about that before?" However,  do people still smoke cigarettes despite knowing that they are more likely to get cancer?  Do people still eat too much sugar despite knowing that it can give them diabetes.  To use such a justification for such harsh sentences is not a solution to our island's drug problems.  In all reality, it won't discourage people from doing what they're going to do anyway simply because they won't have to deal with the consiquences until much later.

If our citizens are put on the stop list, can it effectively end their ability to further themselves as productive members of society?  Having already broken the mould and ruined their lives, what stops them from asking themselves why they should not delve further into criminal activity? 

If you're an individual already on the stop list, what further have you got to lose?  Are our prisons not already compared to being a club med for drug addicts as some people claim given how freely it is rumored to be able to attain drugs there.  With such harsh punishments for an act that does more to hurt the individual then it does society, are we encouraging those who briefly step off the beaten path into a life of crime?

Maybe there is a reason why we're in the top 10 list for imprisonment and perhaps it's time we started cracking down on the causes of our problems rather then the effects?   Such as by asking the question of why these individuals are turning to drugs in the first place?