In a country where the perception is that crime levels are rising, and that criminals are becoming more brazen, it is essential that there not be a void of information, which can lead to speculation and rumor running rampant – whether the tidbits being passed around are true or untrue.

It is therefore a huge problem that communication between the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force and the local media still remains on shaky ground. Information continues to be provided on a sporadic, haphazard basis. No one involved in the process would describe it as ‘smooth’ or ‘well-run’.

The distribution of information, whether through the phone, e-mail, or on the woefully-neglected official police Web site, is characterized more by its disordered nature than of a well-organized, efficient process. Case in point, there are no press releases on the aforementioned site for the month of June. Not one. Needles to say, there was plenty of criminal activity during that time span to report.

This media house is no longer receiving e-mail notifications, which for a while were timely and appreciated sources of information. Once again, the disorganized nature of the communication structure has come to the fore. There is an urgent need for responsible parties to sit down together in a room and put together a cogent set of procedures and protocols to be utilized on a consistent basis in getting the news out.

Perhaps even more important to a law enforcement department than reporting criminal activity as it occurs, is the managing of the message. While the facts on the ground will remain the same, they can be presented in such as way as to build confidence, both in local media members, and in the general population. People need to know on a consistent basis that while some degree of criminality will always occur, the police are taking effective countermeasures. In the absence of such reassurances, it can appear that criminals are running wild with very little in the way of a police response.

All of the above falls squarely within the bailiwick of the Police PRO. It is his job to make absolutely sure that the wheels of communication are running smoothly, and that each media house is getting the information needed for effective reportage.

On Tuesday, the news was released that a new police PRO, Inspector Zenhastel Hector, has been appointed while Inspector Vaughan Henderson is on vacation. Let’s see if a new face brings forth any dramatic improvements.