Aruban police chief Ronny Bernadina, ” We do provide statistics,” Really we do …

The police do indeed provide criminal statistics each year regarding Aruba, according to police chief Ronny Bernadina, reacting to statements from the Ministry of Justice.

Of course reporting and adequately investigating would be two separate issues. So why exactly is there a difference in the numbers reported? What exactly happened to those “statistics” that never make it to the OM?

After the KPA was informed of the ad, discussions followed, as the statistics used in the advertisement were lower than what the police have recorded. 

Bernadina confirmed the difference in the numbers between the OM and the police. He agrees with the OM’s explanation that the police are involved with far more incidents than are eventually reported and registered with the OM.

Amigoe, October 3, 2006: Police: “We do provide statistics.” 

The police do indeed provide criminal statistics each year regarding Aruba, according to police chief Ronny Bernadina, reacting to statements from the Ministry of Justice.

ORANJESTAD – The Aruba Police Corps (KPA) publishes figures every year regarding all calls that come in asking for police assistance. Statements that the police rarely offer any statistics are therefore completely unjust, police chief Ronny Bernadina wrote in response to the statement made by a Justice coworker earlier in the Amigoe. 

In a press release Bernadina announced that, “The KPA has learned that an article was recently published in one of the local papers saying the police rarely provide any crime statistics.” The police chief alludes to the declarations made by Silvio Lopez, employed by the Ministry of Justice. Lopez said the police are often asked for figures, but that they are rarely able to provide them. The Ministry therefore used statistics provided by the District Attorney (OM) in an advertisement that claimed the criminality on Aruba was dropping. The advertisement was placed in various newspapers. After the KPA was informed of the ad, discussions followed, as the statistics used in the advertisement were lower than what the police have recorded. 

Bernadina confirmed the difference in the numbers between the OM and the police. He agrees with the OM’s explanation that the police are involved with far more incidents than are eventually reported and registered with the OM. Every year the police corps publishes a summary which includes figures for crimes and petty offenses. The results are widely dispersed among the various government ministries and regulatory bodies. International organizations like Interpol, also receive copies. Even the National Library gets a copy, which students can use for their projects and studies, according to Bernadina. 

This year KPA produced a mid year report in June, but these figures are only available for internal use.