Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle says public mistrust of the police is making it harder to solve crimes and has urged stronger community engagement and transparency from law enforcement.
Speaking at a United Progressive Party town hall, Pringle recounted a recent incident in Scarit’s Pasture where a resident considered handing over surveillance footage to police. By the following morning, the individual received a handwritten threat warning them not to share the evidence.
“Now it means somewhere along that line the communication between that person and the police would have been shared,” Pringle said. “So whosoever did whatever got that information. So what do you think happened? There is no trust. There’s no information to give to the police. So it’s harder for them to solve crime.”
Pringle argued that such breaches erode confidence in law enforcement and discourage citizens from cooperating. He added that rebuilding trust requires both confidentiality and stronger police-community interaction.
The opposition leader also criticized what he described as inadequate updates on investigations. While acknowledging the need to protect sensitive details, he said law enforcement must provide regular information to the public to demonstrate that cases remain active.
“We must give continuous updates so that the public can be aware that this matter is not on the back burner and it’s a pertinent matter that is still being investigated,” Pringle said.
His comments came during a wide-ranging discussion on crime, accountability, and governance, where panelists also raised proposals such as independent investigations and tighter border security.
