For years, we have watched a dangerous pattern unfold: governments, both at home and abroad, slowly turning police forces into political tools rather than protectors of the public. The lines between law enforcement and intimidation have been deliberately blurred, eroding trust, fueling division, and leaving everyday citizens caught in the middle.
It does not have to be this way, and it does not have to stay this way. If any government truly wants to restore trust, prosperity, and community safety, it needs to stop weaponizing the police against their people and start rebuilding trust from the ground up.
Here’s how we start:
- Rebuild Trust Through Transparency and Respect – Police-community relations cannot be repaired with slogans or token programs. It requires real transparency, accountability, and engagement rooted in respect, not control.
- Shift Police Training to Focus on De-escalation and Community Policing – We do not need more militarized tactics; we need officers trained in conflict resolution, communication, and building relationships. The goal should be to prevent violence, not escalate it.
- Remove Military-Style Equipment from Everyday Policing – There is no reason our streets should resemble battlefields. Military weapons and vehicles have no place in routine community patrols. Their presence only deepens fear and widens the divide.
- Increase Police Presence as Helpers, Not Enforcers – People deserve to see officers as approachable problem-solvers , part of the neighbourhood, not a force looming over it. Visibility matters, but so does how that visibility feels to the public.
- Hold Officers Accountable for Excessive Force and Misconduct – No trust can exist without accountability. Strict policies and real consequences for misconduct are essential to ensuring police serve rather than harm.
- Invest in Mental Health and Social Supports – We ask police to respond to everything — homelessness, addiction, mental health crises — when these are often not criminal issues. It’s time to fund the services that address the root causes of these challenges, taking unnecessary burdens off law enforcement.
- Strengthen Partnerships with Community Leaders and Organizations – Police should work side by side with schools, churches, and community groups, not just show up when things go wrong. Ongoing collaboration builds understanding and prevents conflict.
- Establish True Independent Oversight Bodies – An independent, transparent review system for complaints and police conduct is essential. The public must have faith that misconduct will not be hidden or excused.
- Foster a Culture of Service, Not Occupation – We need to return to the fundamental idea that police exist to serve and protect, not to occupy or intimidate. That culture shift starts with leadership and must reach every corner of every department.
The Hard Truth.
For nearly two decades, Skerrit and his government have mastered the politics of fear. Instead of building trust between police and communities, they have instead turned our law enforcement into a political weapon used to intimidate opponents, silence dissent, and protect the privileged few at the top.
We have all seen it: peaceful protests shut down, activists harassed, communities patrolled not to serve, but to control. And yet, in the same breath, Skerrit’s government has failed to tackle the root causes of crime – poverty, joblessness, hopelessness. They have neglected schools, health services, youth programs, and opportunities, leaving people desperate, vulnerable, and afraid. And when fear grows, so does their excuse for more heavy-handed policing. Let us be clear here, this was by design. A population divided, living in fear, is easier to control. But Dominicans are waking up. We know we deserve better.
The NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) is not here to play games or recycle broken promises. We are here to say: enough is enough. We refuse to accept Skerrit’s false choice that to have safety, we must surrender our rights, that to reduce crime, we must accept being policed like criminals ourselves. We can have both safety and freedom. But it starts by dismantling this government’s dangerous abuse of law enforcement and rebuilding trust the right way:
The NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) believes police should be protectors, not political enforcers for Skerrit and his inner circle. This is not about hating the police; it is about reforming a broken system that Skerrit has corrupted for far too long. We know many good, honest officers want the same thing: respect, fairness, and to serve with pride. But change will not come from the top, not while this government clings to fear and division.
The NEW Dominica Reform Party (DRP) is ready to lead that change, but we need every Dominican to stand with us. We must break this cycle. We must reclaim our police as partners, not occupiers. We must rebuild trust before Skerrit’s divide becomes too wide to cross.
It is time for real reform. It is time for real leadership. It is time to take our country back, together.
Team DRP