Police presence should be seen as protective and not oppressive, Lovell says, and this requires building public trust

Harold Lovell, Political Leader of the United Progressive Party (UPP), is advocating that the Police Force become more of a protective presence rather than one of intimidation.

This is what the community needs, Lovell says, in light of the number of accusations being made against officers, including the recent allegation that several persons in Barbuda were physically abused by lawmen.

The Political Leader says the level of trust between members of the public and the Force should be nurtured in order to bring about better policing results. But, as it stands now, many people have neither faith nor trust in police officers.

Lovell says that residents should not be feeling a sense of oppression in the presence of the Police.

Meanwhile, speaking to the issue of training, Lovell says that a UPP Administration will ensure that officers are adequately trained so they can execute their duties properly, fairly and professionally.