THIS WEEK in the Parliament of Barbados one of the most robust discussions on crime and violence in the country in recent times took place. While the tone of the debate was heavily influenced by some recent deadly shootings, the parliamentary instrument that gave rise to the whole matter centred on accommodation for the police.
Led by Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs Adriel Brathwaite, the Government’s initiative sought permission to borrow substantial sums under the Special Loans Act to provide improved accommodation for the police, along with related “community” facilities.
The safety and security-related projects covered under the programme will include a new police station at Hastings, Christ Church; a public centre complex at Cane Garden, St Thomas; a new police headquarters at the Pine, St Michael; and repairs to the old male barracks at Central Police Station, St Michael, as well as the former Black Rock Police Station.
Without doubt, members of the Royal Barbados Police Force have endured substandard conditions at a number of locations for years and therefore no reasonable person should oppose these projects. In fact, a check of the published records would reveal that all of these initiatives, perhaps with the exception of the Black Rock Police Station, were promised at least two decades ago.
But while we welcome the construction of new police facilities and applaud the Government for pushing ahead even in times of national financial challenges, we would ask the powers that be to give some consideration to the approach to the siting of magistrates’ courts.
We understand how the various magistrate jurisdictions are spread and that it has been traditional for the district court to be located within the same complex as the district police station. Given the dependence on public transportation of a significant number of Barbadians, as is the case with a majority of the people who have business at the various courts, we are imposing an unnecessary burden on “poor people”.
The new complex at Cane Garden is intended to accommodate the District “D” court, in similar manner to how the District “F” court is housed in the Eric Holder Complex in St Joseph. Considerable sums were spent to upgrade the District “B” complex in St George, but recent events have led to that court being temporarily housed in St Joseph. Similarly, the District “E” Court, traditionally located in St Peter, has been “temporarily” housed at Holetown for well over a decade.
We believe it is time for the magistrates’ courts to be centralised in Bridgetown, where the vast majority of bus services across the island start and end. The old Supreme Court complex on Coleridge Street is a most appropriate location and the gutting and modernising of the existing buildings would certainly breathe new life into Historic Bridgetown And Its Garrison. It would mean, for example, that a person living in Ellerton, St George; Six Roads, St Philip; Welchman Hall, St Thomas or Belleplaine in St Andrew does not have to travel to The City and then take a second bus all the way back into their home parish to attend court.
This has been the recommendation of some of the highest officers of our judiciary for years and now might be the perfect time to act on it. We don’t have to follow tradition simply because “that is how we have always done it”, especially when current circumstances breed burdens of impracticality and inconvenience for those members of the society least able to bear them.
Centralisation of the magistrates’ courts makes sense on too many fronts for us to continue with business as usual. We can spend our limited national resources more sensibly.
