Police Commissioner: Brutality happens but sometimes exaggerated

Police Commissioner Shanta Knowles

By Earyel Bowleg

The reporter of the staff

The police commissioner, Shanta Knowles, believes that concerns about the brutality of the police are sometimes exaggerated, although he acknowledged that sometimes cases of excessive force appear.

Speaking on our television on Jerome Sawyer recording on Thursday night, Commissioner Knowles said the police should use “only enough force” to hold someone. She mentioned that the officers receive continuous training to understand the limits of the justifiable force.

“Sometimes, I think people sensationalize the actions of the police,” she said. “We have to use only enough strength to retain someone. If someone is resistant, we are asked to submit that person without using excessive force. “

She said that the officers are regularly mentioned by the proper use of the force and the handling of firearms.

“We continue to talk to our officers at every change,” she said. “We educate the use of firearms and policies. If they push the borders, it risks violating both our policies and the laws of the Earth. “

However, Commissioner Knowles said that some people are abusive to officers and expect them to be “superhumans”. She stressed that officers come from the same communities as the public and share similar values.

She asked for mutual respect, stressing that the officers risk their lives daily and hope to return home to their families safely. She encouraged the public to support officers in difficult situations, rather than to stand or register incidents.

Referring to a recent viral video, she said: “There was a video a few weeks ago, two officers trying to retain a mentally ill man. Instead of helping, people were laughing and registered. Those officers could have been injured. That man could have been hurt. He tells us how insensitive some of us are in our community. “

She asked the officers to hire more with the public, to leave their stations and vehicles and to drive for example.

And he remembered that he went through Bain Town on Wednesday, where he met a grieving mother. “As I climbed her stairs, she went down and hugged me,” she said. “He told me,” I am not upset with you. ” And I said, “We are not your enemies.”

The woman was Beverly Lee-Rolle, Deangelo Evans’ mother, a 20-year-old police killed by the police in 2018. Mrs. Lee-Rolle confirmed the stands that she spoke to the commissioner.

“It was very relaxing,” she said on Friday. “I’m glad I could talk more easily. When the first commissioner talked to me, I was much more frightening. When he spoke on Wednesday, there was no anger. It was more of a peaceful discussion and even had the priest to pray for me. It was a lot of relief. “

Commissioner Knowles also revealed that a new inspection revision branch has been set up.

“We have already started inspecting the stations, and training with integrity and ethics has started,” she said. “I completed New Providence and Eleuthera. This week, we are in Exuma and Grand Bahama, then we move to the other family islands. “

She added: “We will continue to educate officers on ethics and policies and encourage them not to violate our policies – or more importantly.”