Law and order is a top of the mind concern for Barbadians in these times. It is therefore understandable the Barbados Police Service (BPS) continues to come under public scrutiny. It goes without saying that how an under resourced BPS funds its operations is critical to crime prevention success. How many Barbadians are aware the BPS generates hundreds of thousands of dollars in administrative fees through the delivery of certificate of character, firearm license and car parking fees services?
See 2013 Royal Barbados Police Report.uploaded to the parliament website. By the way, is there a more recent report?
Finance
Royal Barbados Police Report
General revenue streams were maintained through the collection of fees from sources such as the sale of Certificates of Character, the rental of barricades, payment for police services, the sale of firearms licences and the sale of accident reports. Revenue collected included $427,890.00 from the sale of Certificates of Character, $571,600.00 from the sale of licences for firearms and explosives and $949,925.91 from the collection of parking fees at car parks under the control of the Force.
The blogmaster has no issue with the BPS generating administrative fees to assist with self financing especially given the government’s financial constraints, however, like everything else, it should be effeciently policed and audited. From a distance the car parking operations seems to be very ‘manual’ and could do with modernisation. No doubt there is opportunity to prevent ‘leakage’. We have to go back to 2011 to read the following that was highlighted by the Auditor General about the Royal Barbados Police Force before the name change – there is a familiar ring to it:
- Incomplete responses to audit queries
- Weaknesses in financial controls
- Outstanding matters from previous audits that had not been resolved
The BPS managing administrative fees effectively is not just about earning revenue — it is also about enabling good service, reinforcing public trust, and helping the police function more efficiently. By the way, has Commissioner Richard Boyce deliver the report promised about the slapping incident that occurred last year on Kadooment Day? Maybe the senior officers that were recently promoted will impress upon him the importance of keeping his word with the public. Without the support of the public the job of the BPS becomes that much harder.
Are we there yet?
The blogmaster invites you to join and add value to the discussion.