SHRUGGING?off the reported rift between him and Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin, Bertie Hinds, acting top cop, as his boss is on vacation, gave a terse “no comment” when asked if it was affecting police morale.
Pushed further, Hinds would only say yesterday: “I do my work professionally, and I am here strictly to look after policing Barbados, and that [alleged rift] is not an issue on the front burner for me.”
The acting chief said the “Police Force is very resilient and whatever it goes through, the men and the women rise to the occasion and we work. You would appreciate that there would be difficulties in organisations.
“We are not concerned about that [controversy] now, but are about making Barbados a safe place; and so far, so good. We have done an excellent job.”
He also deferred speaking to any resolving of differences between him and Dottin.
Hinds’ reaction came against a WEEKEND NATION report earlier that recommendations had been made to the Police Services Commission to have Dottin and Hinds replaced.
The story indicated that recommendations had been sent to then Attorney General Freundel Stuart, now Prime Minister, and the Chief Personnel Officer last August following internal and public bickering between the island’s two top cops.
Hinds was speaking to the Press after the force’s Yuletide walkabout at Six Roads in St Philip yesterday.
“We are having a hands on look-in on what is happening throughout Barbados. And this is the first stop. And how appropiate, because recently we had a very bad case of robbery here.
“But I am glad to report that those two persons have been apprehended and we are optimistic that will lead us to the apprehension of more people and the solving of some similar offences across Barbados,” said Hinds.
Hinds said the proprietors were quite happy with the police coverage and were encouraging them to continue, But they could only [do so] at seasonal times.
Answering a wide range of questions, Hinds also sought to allay the fears of Barbadians in light of the spate of armed robberies and murders in recent times, with the latest being the killing of an elderly man in St Michael.
“The more recent crimes, except for the one this morning [yesterday], we have been pretty successful with.
“We have apprehended and charged quite a few people in respect of these robberies and I am optimistic that sometime in the not too distant future we can announce that some progress has been made.”
The top cop sought to reassure the public the force was here for them and they could go about their business during the Yuletide period, “but be very cautious . . .”.