Policing and technology in the contemporary Caribbean

Policing and technology in the contemporary Caribbean

This chapter explores Caribbean police officers’ perspectives on the use of technology in policing in the region. The topic of inquiry is premised on three separate, yet interrelated notions. First, over the past four decades, global policing agencies have implemented an array of new technologies aimed at improving operational efficiency and policing outcomes due to enhanced public attention to, and scrutiny of policing activities. Second, much remains to be known about the prevalence and utility of technology among police departments in the Caribbean. Third, the factors that influence the selection, implementation, and usage of technology in policing in the region is unknown. To address these issues, there is a need to create a knowledge base on the implementation and integration of technology into policing in the Caribbean. To achieve the study’s aims, standardised questionnaires with a qualitative component embedded therein were completed by 21 (N = 21) senior police officers (Inspectors and above) employed with the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda, the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, and the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service. The findings indicate that (1) technology usage is limited, and (2) the implementation of technology and its success and/or failure are multidimensional and cannot be traced to a single issue.