The following item gives rise to what Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite spoke of the the other day at Barbados Workers’ Union’s Solidarity House – the need for improving the quality of applicants into the Force. With a relaxing of standards since the type of entry Police would like to see become Law Enforcement have no wish to do so either for Financial or for Security reasons.

When you do not make it attractive to perform a high-risk job without high-risk pay or even high-risk benefits, then what is left behind to take on the most crucial of duties?

This lack of qualified Personnel who may be more likely to use their discretion intelligently, rather than just slap a pile of parking tickets at random citizens in two weeks hoping it creates an opportunity for promotion, when this does not appear, then certain junior members of the Police may be inspired to travel down roads best left unexplored… Was this why the following developed?

Two Police officers of the RBPF have been charged with sexual offenses against a Jamaican national while she was in police custody.

32 year old Jonathan Barrow of Haggatt Hall, St Michael faces counts related to an act of Serious Indecency; 25 year old Melanie Denny from Golden Mile in St Peter is facing counts related to Aiding & Abetting an act of Serious Indecency.

The two made an appearance in the District “A” Magistrate’s Court earlier today and have bail set at $5,000.00 each with one surety and are due to re-appear and answer these charges by 1st September 2011.