The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) has sounded the alarm over proposed amendments to the Police Act, warning that granting members of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) powers of arrest and forcing civilians to assist police could erode public trust and put Barbadians at risk.
Speaking during a press briefing on Wednesday, General Secretary Dennis de Peiza said the group takes “strong objection” to the government’s intention to introduce legislation giving soldiers authority to arrest, charging that the amendment is “vague” and fails to spell out the conditions under which the BDF would be empowered, leaving the door open for arbitrary use of authority.
“The powers of arrest being granted to members of the BDF within the civil society space is considered a dangerous precedent,” he said, adding that law and order is the sole preserve of the Police Service.
He warned that the military is not trained for civilian policing.
“There’s a difference between how [the military] perform their roles and functions, and the training that they have is for different levels of engagement. Soldiers are trained to kill,” he said. “They’re not trained to arrest people and treat them as a policeman should when enforcing law and order. A policeman has to go through certain procedural steps.”
He cautioned that blurring the line between military and police functions could open the door to abuses, arbitrary arrests, and even human rights violations.
The government has defended the amendments as part of a wider effort to reform the Police Service and strengthen public order and safety, particularly in the face of a recent surge in violent crime.
Soldiers have in the past been deployed to support police operations, but under existing law their authority is limited.
The Police Act, Cap 167 clearly vests arrest powers in the Police Service, while the Defence Act, Cap 159 only permits BDF involvement in a declared national emergency.
The proposed amendment would allow soldiers assigned to assist police to exercise the same powers and immunities as police officers for the duration of their deployment, a provision CTUSAB says goes too far.
The union umbrella body also raised alarm about the controversial citizen arrest clause, which threatens fines of up to $10 000 for civilians who refuse to help police when called upon.
De Peiza said that while the call to the public to assist the police is not new, “the way it is being amended is not encouraging,” noting that ordinary people should not be forced to risk their lives in dangerous situations.
“If I am standing in a situation and the police call on me, and I believe that my life is in imminent danger, I am not going to throw myself into being shot at or chopped,” he said. “What you are actually telling the public is see and don’t see. You are encouraging the public now to turn a blind eye, to mind their own business.”
He warned that the clause clashes with the government’s “see something, say something” campaign and would discourage rather than encourage public cooperation.
CTUSAB President Ryan Phillips agreed, stressing that the law leaves civilians exposed if something goes wrong while trying to help an officer.
“I don’t believe a magistrate can look at an ordinary person and impose a full $10 000 fine,” Phillips said.
“But if I intervene and that person dies, that’s a whole different investigation, and the Act does not protect individuals in cases like that.”
The union officials urged the government to reconsider the amendments and to consult the public before implementation, warning that the current approach could weaken, rather than strengthen, public order.
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