Police responsiveness will require a clear organisational culture shift

Apr 19, 2015 News

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By Dale Andrews
Having dealt with the issue of police response timing in some detail, I wish

to acknowledge the many positive comments and suggestions I have received from serving and past members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
I would also like to recognize the valuable contributions from the man-in-the-street who felt that I should write on the manner that the police respond to calls and reports by members of the public.
I have no axe to grind, but these inputs indicate that these articles are achieving the objective of generating comment and constructive criticism on matters related to the GPF and its administration and operations.
First off, it should be made quite clear and unambiguous to all members of the GPF that like other police forces, the police are there to serve the public. Essentially, the police are servants of the people, albeit servants with vast discretionary powers over the people.  However, the Guyanese people have needs which must be met if the GPF is to honestly boast of the existence of a harmonious relationship with all communities.
In recent weeks all of us have been aware of victims and surviving relatives expressing dissatisfaction with the way the police treat with the loss of their loved ones or even the loss of property. This article will examine the needs of victims; the factors which are necessary for an enhanced police response to victims; and the benefits and challenges of an enhanced response to victims.
For the purpose of this discussion we will define a victim of crime as “a person who has been injured either physically or emotionally due to the occurrence of a crime.  Victims include individuals who have been direct targets of violence or property loss or damage, their family members, and people who experience emotional trauma as a result of witnessing such an incident” (Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Victims: A 21st Century Strategy). Problematic will always be the question about whether the police responding within 15 minutes of receiving a call for assistance is appropriately responsive to the needs and sensitivity of the victim(s) and the situation.
VICTIM NEEDS
The document referred to above was developed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and identifies seven critical victim needs including:
(i) safety, which speaks to protection from intimidation, and re-victimization;
(ii) support, which addresses the need for the police to be knowledgeable about victim referral services where professionals can provide ongoing support and assistance;
(iii) information, where the police inter alia provide victims with status updates of the investigation and the prosecution where charges have been laid;
(iv) access, refers to an enhanced police capacity to help victims with special needs and circumstances, such as people with developmental or physical disability, diminished competency, or mental illness to participate fully in the investigative process and access applicable supportive services;
(v) continuity is about the need for police collaboration with victim service providers and other criminal justice professionals to ensure that victims receive consistent information and support throughout their involvement with the justice system;
(vi) voice speaks to the need to empower victims by encouraging their active participation and listening to their concerns;
(vii) justice is the need to directly improve victims’ sense of safety and well-being by conducting thorough investigations, follow-ups, and doing their part to hold offenders accountable.
The authors also feel that adequate policy making may ensure that policies and protocols can effectively guide the police to meeting victims’ needs, and create a sense of security that law enforcement is working in their best interests (pp23-24).
However, victims’ needs should not be viewed in isolation since the foundation of the enhanced response to victims requires four core elements which have proved effective namely:
(i) leadership, where the success of the strategy will depend on the early buy-in and commitment on the part of GPF administration who would inter alia be expected to define intermediate and long-range victim response outcomes;
(ii)partnering could encompass a range of non-traditional allies including faith communities, businesses and volunteer groups as well as civic and community organizations (It is noted that the GPF has already started to move in this direction with its partnership initiatives);
(iii)training signals an awareness that to effectively respond will require adaptation as technology, crime analysis, investigation techniques, and resources evolve bearing mind that victims have different needs and circumstances; and
(iv) performance, monitoring the force administration should document and analyse baseline data about the quality and status of the current victim response before defining the GPF’s enhanced victim response goals.  It is only then that the administration would be able to determine the relevant resources, strategies and approaches, as well as expected short-term impacts and long-range outcomes.  To return briefly to the subject of monitoring progress, we should note that this may require new and innovative ways of looking at data already gathered and not necessarily in major new investments in data collection and analysis.
On that score, the GPF would need to determine appropriate data collection points. Monitoring progress toward victim response goals will not necessarily require significant new investments in data collection and analysis, but it may entail new and innovative ways of looking at information already gathered for other purposes.
BENEFITS
It is an indisputable fact that any programme to enhance the police response to crime victims will be subject to budgetary and service demand considerations.  However, these should not prevent the GPF from improving its investigative capability and introducing an organized follow-up system.  It has been shown generally that victims who believe they have been treated with empathy and respect by the police are more likely to cooperate with law enforcement and make efforts to minimize their potential risk of re-victimization.
Additionally, an enhanced response, which includes treating victims’ issues as high priority, offers several prospects for the police to increase their service efficiency and effectiveness.  These include opportunities for leadership and innovation, reinforced focus on law enforcement responsibilities, increased job satisfaction, and greater cooperation and appreciation by citizens and victims.
CHALLENGES
According to the IACP, implementing a strategy to improve the police response to victims is likely to be met by several challenges within the GPF including: competing priorities; lack of buy-in; insufficient training resources; and an organisational incapacity to measure success.
On the external front, the anticipated challenges are the competing objectives between victims, law enforcement, and criminal justice partners; limitations of victim services; lack of services for victims of non-violent crimes; media coverage and portrayals of law enforcement and factors that hinder the police’s ability to respond to victims.
POLICIES
Among the factors that negatively impact on the police’s ability to respond to victims are those related to people with developmental disabilities, mental illnesses, abused vulnerable elderly persons, the substance-impaired and individuals who have suffered multiple victimizations, all of which may need to be considered if service is to be equitable across victim types.
One peculiar situation which Guyanese are familiar with is when the police themselves are alleged to be the perpetrators of the crime.
It is therefore left to the administration to develop appropriate interventions if it is to respond effectively through thorough training, supported by clear policies and protocols. These would help ranks in their assessment of circumstances to determine why a victim may not be cooperating in the investigation or may inadvertently be endangering himself or herself or others.
This article is not meant to suggest that improvements in the police response to victims of crime will be an overnight matter. Some aspects of a response strategy could be implemented almost immediately, while others may be possible after many months or even several years. But what is undisputable is that for the police response initiative to succeed it will require a clear and unequivocal organisational culture shift.

Dale Andrews is a senior crime reporter and can be reached at [email protected]

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