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Barbados is confronted in today’s world with
a range of nontraditional security threats of a
pervasive nature. We will not yield to these threats.
Adopting a policy of zero tolerance, the BLP intends
to ensure that Barbados remains a safe country where
social and legal justice are assured.
Although the Barbados Crime Survey, conducted in 2002
established that we have one of the lowest crime rates
in the world, fear of crime is a central concern of
all Barbadians.
A Draft National Plan on Justice Peace and Security
has already been prepared and is now the basis for
the widest possible consultation by the National Commission
on Law and Order.
We are committed to:
-
Maintaining a peaceful society in our communities
and our homes
-
Creating conditions for the full attainment of social
justice
-
Enforcing strict accountability under the rule of
law Instilling in our citizens a sense of social
responsibility
-
Reinforcing traditional cultural and spiritual values
Providing timely and affordable access to legal
justice.
THE
ROYAL BARBADOS POLICE FORCE
A BLP Government will bring about a reinvigorated
Royal Barbados Police Force crucial to the preservation
of law and order.
We will:
-
continue to increase and strengthen the Police Force.
-
Spend $26 million to completely upgrade its telecommunications
system.
-
Use Island Constables and Special Constables primarily
to maintain the peace while allowing police officers
to better focus on the fight against crime and keeping
the island secure.
-
Improve the capability of the Police Force by focussing
on comprehensive training and retraining in community
policing, problem solving, victim support and intelligence-led
approaches to policing.
-
Accelerate computerisation of the Force and its
critical databases to improve its efficiency.
-
Evolve partnerships with communities island-wide
through the establishment of Parish Committees to
assist in maintaining peace and fighting crime.
-
Introduce Closed Circuit Television initially in
Bridgetown and St. Lawrence Gap to assist specifically
reducing robbery and other crimes.
-
Expand the anti-burglary project piloted in the
Bush Hall/Grazettes districts to other areas.
-
Activate the work of the independent Police Complaints
Authority.
FOR
THE POLICE
A
re-elected BLP Administration will:
-
Continue refurbishing Central Police Station and
District “A”
-
Complete construction of the new station at District
“E” Speightstown, jointly funded by
BTII and Government
-
Construct a new station at Crab Hill
-
Construct Police stations through public/private
sector partnerships at Dover, Wildey, Cane Garden,
Six Roads and Hastings/Rockley
REGIME
FOR THE WELL-BEING OF MEMBERS OF THE PROTECTIVE SERVICES
The BLP Government in consultation with the various
stakeholders started a comprehensive and service-wide
Job Reevaluation research project that is due to be
completed in June 2003.
A new BLP Administration will:
-
Address recommendations coming out of the comprehensive
Job Reclassification Exercise.
- Establish
dedicated day nurseries for children of members
of the protective services.
-
Establish Resource centres to afford officers 24-hour
access to the Internet.
FORENSIC
SCIENCES CENTRE
We recently opened a new $24 million Forensic Centre.
We will bring this centre fully into operation to
enhance the detection capability of the law enforcement
agencies as well as to strengthen scientific investigation
in other key areas. The BLP will introduce in Parliament
a Forensics Procedures Bill and a DNA Investigations
Bill to support present and future national forensic
activities.
MODERNISING
THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
There has been a substantial increase in both the
range and number of legal matters involving the Government
of Barbados. The BLP is committed to the modernisation
of all aspects of our justice system.
We will:
-
Construct a new Juducial Centre at Whitepark Road
through a public/private sector partnership.
-
Implement a computerised integrated justice information
system (JITS)to link the Police, the Prison Service,
the Courts, Immigration, Customs and Probation Departments.
-
Convert the National Task Force on Crime Prevention
into a National Criminal Justice Planning and Research
Unit.
-
Restructure the Chambers of the Office of the Attorney
General to address the following areas: International
Law and International Trade Law, Financial/Revenue,
Litigation/Advisory and Non-Contentious matters.
-
Introduce modern technology and reform processes
to enhance the efficiency and speed of conducting
Government’s legal matters.
-
Establish a National Prosecution Service responsible
for all public prosecutions under the direction
of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
-
Enact a new Legal Profession Act.
-
Place the Laws of Barbados and subsidiary legislation
on the Internet.
-
Legislate a new Court Process Act
-
Establish Community Legal Aid Clinics in partnership
with the Law Faculty of the University of the West
Indies.
- Expand
access to legal aid.
-
Establish a dedicated parliamentary drafting facility.
MONEY
LAUNDERING, TERRORISM AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE
The global financial community within recent years
has placed increasing emphasis on money laundering
and terrorist finance.
A re-elected BLP will:
-
Defend and preserve Barbados’ international
reputation for the highest integrity in relation
to the conduct of its financial sector.
-
Strongly support the fight against terrorism, money
laundering, drug trafficking, illegal gun-running
and other threats to our stability and security.
-
Continue our support for the National Council on
Substance Abuse
PENAL REFORM
The process of penal reform has been started by the
BLP with passage of the Penal Reform Act 1998 which
broadens the range of sentencing options available
to the Courts.
The BLP will:
-
Establish a Department of Corrections to provide
a framework for coordinated and integrated delivery
of penal services.
-
Construct a maximum security prison and designate
a refurbished Glendairy as a minimum risk
facility.
-
Implement a modern system of parole and conditional
day release.
-
Encourage greater use of alternative sentences to
imprisonment
IMMIGRATION
SERVICES
The Immigration Department is now required to play
a more pivotal role in national development and security
than at any other stage in its existence.
The
BLP will:
-
Introduce modern Immigration and Citizenship legislation
to ensure effective control of Barbados’ borders.
-
Ensure the integrity and security of Barbados passports
by upgrading them to the new
international standard for travel documents.
-
Introduce Smart Cards for Barbadian nationals and
permanent residents to expedite immigration clearance.
BARBADOS
POSTAL SERVICE
The Barbados Postal Service will be converted into
a corporate entity and run along commercial lines.
Postal workers, credit unions and trade unions will
be offered shares in the corporation.
New
post offices will be built at Tamarind Hall, St. Joseph,
Belleplaine, St. Andrew, Six Cross Roads, St. Philip
and Benthams, St. Lucy.
EMERGENCY
RELIEF, DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
A
BLP Government will:
-
Establish a National Emergency Management Agency
(NEMA) to expand substantially upon functions now
carried out by CERO.
- Establish
and operate a national Emergency Relief Supplies
warehouse to provide immediate emergency relief
supplies to persons affected by localised or minimal
impact events.
FIRE SERVICE
We will:
-
Replace the Airport Fire Station with a modern complex
compliant with international civil aviation requirements;
-
Establish a Fire Station at Six Cross Roads, St.
Philip and Nesfield, St. Lucy.
-
Increase the number of Fire Officers and establish
an Auxiliary Fire Officers Unit through community
partnerships.
CREATING
OUR MIRROR IMAGE
The BLP government recently recapitalised the Caribbean
Broadcasting Corporation and guaranteed a loan for
conversion to a digital platform.
The BLP will:
-
Divest shares at the CBC to employees, credit unions
and members of the public.
-
Complete the conversion of the broadcast platform
at CBC from analog to digital to increase from 34
to 70 channels on cable
-
Dedicate six channels to broadcast local and regional
content to counter balance foreign programming,
much of which is overloaded with gratutous violence.
-
Convert Channel 8 to 80% local and regional programming.
-
These measures will reinforce national identity
while creating economic op-portunities for the cultural
and sports industries
-
Broadcast Channel 8 across the Internet and satellite
so as to create a presence globally for Barbados
to further enhance the country’s leadership
role and its economic prospects.
-
Issue additional free to air licenses within 3 years.
INITIATIVES
IN THE BARBADOS PUBLIC SECTOR
The Barbados Public Service is highly respected at
home and internationally for quality, integrity and
professionalism and for the excellent service it has
rendered our people.
We seek to develop a public service that responds
to this challenge while offering high quality service
to the public and providing excellent career opportunities
for the most talented and creative in our land.
A BLP Administration will continue programmes that
are fundamental to the creation of the new work culture
to ensure efficient, timely and improved public services.
PERFORMANCE
REVIEW AND DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM
We will replace the present Annual Confidential Report
with a Performance Review and Development System.
This is designed to lift the morale of public officers’
and boost productivity across the Public Service.
JOB
RECLASSIFICATION
In consultation with the various stakeholders, the
BLP Government started a comprehensive and service-wide
Job Reclassification research project that is due
to be completed in June 2003.
In its new term of office, a BLP Government will implement
the recommendations coming out of the comprehensive
Job Reclassification exercise.
WAGE
SETTLEMENTS FOR PUBLIC SERVANTS
The BLP is committed to the satisfactory conclusion
of twoyear wage settlements for public servants, on
terms that improve the standard of living of our public
servants, and that also include provisions to spur
productivity.
BETTER
PENSIONS
We
will:
-
ensure that sound pension arrangements are put in
place for all who serve the public and where none
exist, as is the case with the BDF, they will be
created.
-
reform the public service pension arrangement to
make it more secure.
BETTER
WORKING CONDITIONS
We have been constantly improving the physical and
environmental conditions under which our public servants
work. This programme will be intensified and any adverse
physical environmental problems will be addressed.
E-GOVERNMENT
If Barbados is to be a regional ICT centre, the government
must connect to its citizens through
modern com-munications technology . Within this framework,
the BLP will establish an e-government Task Force
to provide the road map for full and rapid transition
to e-government.
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