Regarding this title
You would think it strange
And perhaps you are now convinced
That I must be deranged.
But hear me out
Before passing judgment
And you will see another at whom
To aim your contempt.
For it is ridiculous
To say the very least
Regarding a recent piece of legislation
That disturbs my piece.
One thing is for certain
There is much comment
And people all over this country
Are airing their dissent.
POLICE ACT. CAP. 167
With reference to item 68:
Refusing to Aid Member of Service Assaulted,
Let us get it straight.
Any person who,
When called upon to aid and assist
A member of the Service who,
While in the execution of his duty,
Is assaulted or resisted
Or in danger of being assaulted or resisted,
Refuses or neglects to aid and assist
The member of the Service
Is guilty of an offence
And is liable on summary conviction
To a fine of $10 000 or to imprisonment
For one year or both.
Granted, we are trying
To help out the police here
But surely Madam PM you can see
The reason for my fear.
I have not been trained
Like the police have been
And thus, I stay as far away as possible
From any violent scene.
Once I see trouble
I am overcome with fear
And I thought that this was natural
But now, it’s not clear.
I had always thought
That the police backup police
But now a piece of legislation implies
A partial cease.
The public is now backup
According to this law
And the Honourable AG blames the DLP
For this current flaw.
All they have done
Is to change the fine
From $500 to $10 000 currently
And or 1-year confine.
Of course, he continued,
It’s really up to a judge
To determine how much of this fine
But he will not budge.
Most are refusing nowadays
To go to another’s aid
Like the cries and pleas of that old man
That fell on deaf ears.
He was being robbed
And none would intervene,
They fearfully stood there and watched
The awful scene.
People are more reluctant
Fearing there might be guns
And thus, they are prepared in the event
To just pick up and run.
So, Madam PM,
And the Honourable AG,
It is not any dislike for the police
But just my timidity.
Yes, it could be me next
In need of such public help
But believe me, when I hear a gun explode
My heart suddenly melts.
So, like the wiretapping,
Please wheel and come again,
The people are already crying out
In anguish and in pain.
Perhaps I could make a call
On my cellular phone
And hope that some police patrol
Is within the zone.
I have nothing Madam PM
Against our Police Service,
Actually, I now must make it clear
They are tops on my list.
Daily arrests are made
Only to be thwarted by bail
And this sometimes gives the impression
As though the police fail.
But they are doing
A really magnificent job
Quickly arresting suspects and felons
Who murder and who rob.
Sworn to protect
And protecting they do
But this is a different Barbados today
From the one I knew.
Now it seems to me
We have to protect them
And especially if the police demand it;
Now this is a problem.
Send adequate backup
In the very first place
For I am telling you, where trouble is,
I don’t show my face.
I am rather nervous
Over noisy disputes
So, do not expect much support from me-
I become suddenly mute.
And regarding the threat
Of this $10 000 fine or confine
I am still likely not to get involved-
Madam PM, I decline.
The AG should reflect
On what he actually said
For somehow, I am getting the impression
He’d rather see me dead.
That grin on his face,
It sometimes troubles me,
Tell me, Madam PM, is he the only one
Who can be the AG?
Stewart Russell © August 21, 2025
