Today’s Oxymoron … Police Integrity Report in Aruba

One wonders just how long this investigation was going to be kept under-wraps in Aruba? An investigation into the investigators. Aruban officials even managed to squelch this report as well. Just par for the course on “One Happy Island”.   

The report was already given to the then chief of police Ronny Bernadina on April 3rd of this year.  The investigation took place in 2005 and based on the findings, Forensic Services Caribbean advices to draw up a master plan to deal with the integrity risks.

Read the full article at Amigoe, December 23, 2006: A master plan is needed for better police integrity  

ORANJESTAD – An investigation report on the efficiency of the Police Corps of Aruba (KPA) regarding integrity, states that the control on work procedure is poorly; promotional transfers take place, while there is a disciplinary investigation going; and there is no correct follow up after irregularities within the corps are signaled. 

Forensic Services Caribbean in Curaçao did the investigation by order of Justice-minister Rudy Croes (MEP).  Amigoe learned this from documents that the paper received for perusal.   The report was already given to the then chief of police Ronny Bernadina on April 3rd of this year.  The investigation took place in 2005 and based on the findings, Forensic Services Caribbean advices to draw up a master plan to deal with the integrity risks.  Based on conversations with some key-officials within the KPA and external partners of the corps, like the Security Service, the Public Prosecutor, and the Coastguard, they have mapped nine risks.  They have also analyzed summaries of integrity rules violations within the corps.   They first noticed that many rules regarding work procedures and work processes are established, but that these are not univocal and not conveniently arranged.  The procedures differ per (police-, editor) district and are implemented or interpreted differently.”  Besides, several regulations are not complete.  Not everybody is familiar with the procedures, they are difficult of access, and several of the versions used are outdated.  Several procedures are too complex and have therefore lost their powers.  “They have become dead letters”, states the report.  There is lack of control on the observance of the procedures in all sectors of the organization.  This has to do with not having qualitatively good employees on managerial positions.  Another reason is that there is lack of open culture, in which employees dare to talk to each other.  In order to restrict this risk, the bureau advices to further specify the career policy and to organize trainings that would provoke a culture change within the police corps.  A third risk that can cause the integrity of the corps to come into play is the lack of confidence when it comes to exchange information.  Confidential information is leaked to third parties and nobody knows what to do with the information or that the information can be used against you.   “This lack of confidence has consequences for the internal- and external communication”, states the report.  It also forms a hindrance for working effectively and efficiently.  Their advice is again a culture chance in order to create confidence.