Myths of perception
POLICE Commissioner Laurie Lewis is worried about what he calls the myths of perception. "Perception and reality is an area in the Force we have to deal with all the time, because we have a difficulty with perception and reality of certain things happening," he said this week at the opening of Police training courses in Georgetown. The Police, he said, are concerned about the manner in which media entities present information to the public "in such a way as to purport the truth, when this is not the case." And the Police Chief has identified "a hostile press" among the difficulties members of the Police Force face in the execution of their duties. The Commissioner has a point. Hostile is a label that fits some sections of the media in their dealings with the Police Force and these went overboard in the saga last month of the killing of the notorious bandit Linden `Blackie' London. The Police were accused of executing a man who, according to some sections of the media, was surrendering after keeping up a barrage of heavy fire for some 11 hours against cops and soldiers who had cornered him in a hotel on the outskirts of the city. Those claims about a man shot dead while surrendering were based on accounts that have so far not been substantiated by public testimony from those on the scene - the police and army personnel involved in the operation. Media reports that this was all filmed have not been backed up by anyone producing video footage of the alleged execution and no one has come forward to say he/she witnessed the `uncalled for' shooting of the man who had long been on the run from the police for a string of serious crimes, including murder and armed robbery. These reports not backed up by hard evidence created the kind of perception in the minds of many people we believe Mr Lewis had in mind when he threw out his `myths of perception' complaint this week. "People are not recognising the truth. That perception is prompted by several persons and is snowballed by the press which influences the public to make it real", he argued. "We have to guard against this dealing with perception. We have to remove the myths of perception," the Commissioner told his officers and other ranks. The Police and the media in democratic countries are not renowned for `buddy buddy' relations mainly because the media are inclined to report on issues others would prefer not be made public. But the media, in ensuring the public's right to be fully informed, have a responsibility to be fair, accurate, balanced and professional at all times. And this is where we think Mr Lewis has a problem. Those he often accuses of supposed transgressions and making reality of myths are not, no matter how charitable he may want to be, professional media. His suggested serious dialogue - seminar style - with senior members of media houses may help "to sit and decide where we are going" to rectify the problem. But the Police Commissioner is also building a myth when he lumps all media in the myths of perception pot and he should start naming names in public when he feels offended. That may help the public get a better perspective of the issues.
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