As Government moves to establish 30 joint army and police posts across communities, criminologist Dr Randy Seepersad says the initiative could strengthen visible policing but only if it is paired with wider social interventions and properly measured.
Government’s proposed joint security posts are being presented as part of an effort to strengthen community safety and reduce crime.
Criminologist Dr Randy Seepersad says the approach can be effective, but only if the posts are placed strategically and officers are not confined to the locations themselves.
He says the value of the initiative will depend on active patrols, clear deployment plans and consistent interaction with residents.
“Also, when police are placed within certain areas, of course, the expectation is that they’re not simply going to be centred around the police posts, but they’re going to be moving throughout the communities, interacting with the public, have clear strategies for their patrols, for their deployment, for their movements and their number of hours.”
Dr Seepersad notes that visible security has limits. While it may help deter crimes that happen in public spaces, he says offences such as domestic violence and child abuse require different forms of intervention. He adds that the discussion should therefore move beyond policing alone, particularly where violence involves people who know one another.
“So when we are talking perhaps, let’s say, about child abuse, domestic violence, etc., these kinds of crimes actually remain completely untouched by these, you know, more visible patrolling-style strategies. So, what we really need are alternative strategies.”
The criminologist says those alternative responses should involve families, schools, churches, NGOs, social workers and psychologists. He says police still have a role, particularly in responding to domestic violence before matters escalate, but argues that prevention must involve services that can identify risk, support families and encourage people to seek help earlier.
For the later phase of the initiative, Dr Seepersad says the question will not only be whether the posts are established but also how their impact is assessed.
“Too often, and we see this not just in Trinidad and Tobago but across the Caribbean region. We have strategies that are put in place, but we never really carefully evaluate those strategies.”
Dr Seepersad says the posts could provide an opportunity to strengthen public trust if officers are visible, mobile and engaged with communities. But he says the broader challenge is ensuring that enforcement is matched by prevention and that the policy is evaluated clearly enough to show what is working and what still needs to change.