"Justice is rooted in confidence."

That sentence ca be found on every official document that is sent from The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force.

Of late, the Police Force has made a number of arrests and can be seen vigorously pursuing criminals.

Clearly the Force is striving to keep our neighborhoods safe through effective law enforcement as well as by preventing crimes before they occur.

The Observer congratulates the Police on a job well done so far, and reliable sources in the Force have said that this aggressive policing is only the start.

However, The Observer would like to see the police working more closely with residents, businesses, and institutions to form truly effective police-community partnerships.

The community will have even more confidence in the Force if citizens and Police can come together to work on grams such as D.A.R.E. The sole goal of these programs would be to reduce crime and violence and prevent substance abuse among our young people.

In a small society like ours, it is imperative that police officers and residents work closely together to reduce crime.

The Federation is too small for murders and other serious crimes to go unsolved. People needs to come forward and speak up.

However, citizens will only come forward if they have confidence in the Police Force.

Recently, a young woman complained to The Observer that when she went to a police station to fill out a report on a domestic violence incident, the officer who took the report laughed at her, and told her that is how her boyfriend is. She made a big raucous, and demanded to speak to a female police officer.

Each member of the Police Department must strive to make the Federation the safest and most enjoyable place to live in.

If justice is rooted in confidence, then each and every police officer must value the need for a proactive organization with a bias for action, which supports a superior level of service to our community and to the police profession.

Each and every police officer must strive to identify and address potential problems rather than react to them.

Crime is no laughing matter. Officers must strive to recognize and take advantage of any opportunity that arises, which will allow the Police Force to provide a more effective and/or efficient level of service to our community.