Segways helpful in fight against crime

THE Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) has found Segways to be quite useful in the fight against crime.

Commissioner of Police, Tyrone Griffith, acknowledged the above as he spoke briefly with members of the media following a handing-over ceremony for two of the two-wheeled motorised personal vehicles, which were donated to the Police Force by Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Barbados, Yan Xiusheng. The two Segways together were valued at a cost of Bds$40 000.

“What an officer can do on a Segway, to ask him to do on his feet is demanding a lot. One, he can’t travel as quickly and two, his endurance will not be the same. So it really adds value to that officer who is on the beat, who has a particular beat to cover. He can actually be seen on a regular basis on that tour of duty,” Commissioner Griffith said yesterday, during the ceremony held at Police Headquarters, Roebuck Street, St. Michael.

Griffith meanwhile noted that whilst he could not say the exact areas on the island the two Segways would cover, he noted that the Force is working to ensure that the North and South of the island is covered, in terms of officers who operate on Segways.

Ambassador Yan Xiusheng meanwhile expressed his hope that the donation of the Segways would help the Force in delivering a swifter response as needed, in areas patrolled by the machines.

“It is my pleasure to hand over two Segways donated by the Chinese Embassy in Barbados, to the Royal Barbados Police Force. I hope that these two machines, a vivid demonstration of China-Barbados friendship, will help enhance the swift response of the police and the RBPF officers will soon ride on them, to patrol every corner of the island,” he stated.

He went on to note that recent years have witnessed the continuously enhanced China-Barbados relations of friendly co-operation, in the field of law enforcement and security.

“To name a few, China-Barbados treaties of mutual assistance on criminal matters and extradition were signed, high ranking Barbadian police officers frequently attended seminars in China and China’s efforts of anti-corruption and international fugitive and assets recovery have always been greatly supported by Barbados. It is fair to say that the judicial and law enforcement co-operation has become a critical element in the relations between our two countries,” the Chinese Ambassador commented.

Thanks to the devotion of the local police force he said, Barbadian social security remains sound and stable and ranks top in the Caribbean region. He later announced that the Chinese Embassy therefore remains committed to providing support to the capacity building of the Barbadian police force, fulfilling its obligation to promote judicial and law enforcement co-operation between the two countries, so as to increasingly take the relationship to new heights. (RSM)