But are trained soldiers ready for peace keeping on City streets?
Dario Tapia
After the ceremony the recruits gathered with their family in celebration at Price Barracks. While there are opportunities for growth and experience in the B.D.F. for these recruits, it is very likely that they will eventually be placed not only along the borders of the country, but also in the streets of the old capital where thirty-six of the forty-six murders for 2011 have occurred. But can the men who are trained to kill, be trained in self-restraint? According to Brigadier General Dario Tapia, the soldiers received special training to handle civilian matters.
Brigadier General Dario Tapia, Commander, B.D.F.
“It has always part of what the force should do. The Defense Act delegates us to do three things: one, the defense of the country; two, the support to civil authorities in maintaining order; and three, any other tasks that the governor general assigns us from time to time and that can be anything—there is a blanket cover for anything. So we have to be prepared to be able to do that. At the moment as we say the 5B which is the support the civil authorities is taking priority, but we have to be prepared because we are mandated as a roll. So we have to be prepared, we have to train for it. The recruits here did one week of training with the police to understand their role. But you have to remember also that our role out there at the moment is in support. The police still in charge, the police are still the one who conduct arrest, the police are still the ones who are gonna go and give evidence, it’s not the soldiers.”
Jose Sanchez
“But how in cases when there are assailants firing at the police and the B.D.F. on patrol? Can they shoot back?”
Brigadier General Dario Tapia
“Of course. What they need to understand and what soldiers must understand and should understand is the rules of engagement that are given to them when they are operating in support of the police. There’s a set of rules, it is a statutory instrument, statutory instrument number seventy-five of 2000, if I am not mistaken. And that details all that they could or should do when they are in support of the police and they must understand they are allowed to defend themselves when put in danger and that is clear.”
Why not just recruite more Police Officers?
Maybe if the word got out that these guys are excellent marksmen, our little trigger happy punks will take their business elsewhere or continue to hide their weapons in the bushes outside their homes so that the GSU can put it i their “Found” stash & neighbors, make an anonymous call whenever you see them hiding their stash.
I trust the BDF more than the police to enforce the law fairly and honestly.
I would like to see ALL police under BDF command and discipline. The police system as it exists now, is broken, and we are all paying a terrible price for it.
This is very disturbing, yet the media fail to inform people that we are now officially in Martial Law.
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis—usually only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively (e.g., maintain order and security, and provide essential services), when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law becomes widespread. In most cases, military forces are deployed to quiet the crowds, to secure government buildings and key or sensitive locations, and to maintain order.
Once again, knee jerk reaction, lack of vision and social understanding and economics; the reason for this is we have a pigheaded Leader and our political system is enriched with lawyers who know the law but apparently lack sociological skills; this is apparent due to the fact that we have paid for two reports to get an insight into our social problems; the Crooks Report and Dr. Gayle’s Report, yet, am sure, they both sit on a shelf gathering dust.
We throw our arms up in the air railing at the Government to fix our problems, yet we fail to see that WE/society are the ones giving the problems to ourselves, we act like uncivilized beasts, then beg the GOB to protect us from ourselves, to treat us like children, thus giving them the go ahead to pass draconian laws, and when they try to pass the draconian laws we get mad and once again, throw our arms up in the air.
Don’t you get it, society needs to heal society, parents need to parent their children, neighbors need to stop condoning friends and loved one who commit crime and stop turning a blind eye if you know of any criminal activities in your neighborhoods, we need to start dealing with human beings as human beings, for if we treat these young murderous youths like wild animals that’s what we will get…oh wait…that is what it is now…pretty obvious now the results, right?
These kids are lost; bombarded with a constant stream of exposure to violence in the media, on the unmonitored t.v and internet; they have no love from anyone, they are simply existing with no hope in life, they are soulless, hateful, vengeful humans due to the fact that society failed them and showed that no one cares about them; so why in the hell will they care about society?
Get this straight; no Government is going to come in and clean up this mess; there is no magic pill; it will NOT happen, until society unite and help each other and love and care about each other for the road we are following, we are giving the GOB, today and for the future, permission to become a dictatorship, where our liberties and freedoms will be eliminated one by one. It has already started first we can be locked up for up to 14 days tried without a jury of our peers and now we are being forced to remove tint from our vehicles. What next? Think it will stop there? You better effing think again.
No use police. Police need to be POLICED! Put the BDF on every major corner. Put them on street patrol. Have them walk in groups throughout the city. 24 hours a day! Give them full authority. Operation Jaguar Permanent!