Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 09, 2017 (SKNIS): Law enforcement officers and the public they serve and protect have been urged by Leroy Pemberton, a Lecturer at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC), to embrace the formula 1+1=3 in the fight against crime.
The formula, highlighted in the popular book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by the late American author, Stephen R. Covey, is captured in Habit 6 – Synergize – which essentially means “two heads are better than one.”
While giving the feature address at the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force’s New Year Celebration Service on Monday (January 09), Mr. Pemberton counted “civilians by themselves -1, officers by themselves -1, that makes 2,” he said, by adding the numbers. “But what is synergy? Synergy says if civilians join with officers you have 3 – the relationship. … It is that relationship that comes together that makes us effective in enhancing our strategies for security.”
Mr. Pemberton recalled his childhood in Cayon and spoke about the police foot patrols that were held frequently. Fast forward to 2017, and the community has gotten larger, and the pace of life faster. The police still do some foot patrols but are more frequently seen driving through the area which allows for a quicker response should the need arise. Mr. Pemberton said the police presence evokes the same feeling within him, decades later.
“I have to run out and greet them,” he stated. “Meet and greet and tell them in my community how happy I am to see them and how comforted I am by their presence.”
The English Literature Lecturer encouraged members of the public to show appreciation for the sacrifice of law enforcers saying: “too often people attack officers and expect to attract them. You cannot attract what you attack and so I make sure I compliment them.”