Deputy Police Commissioner Dr. Mashama Sealy has acknowledged the existence of long-standing trust issues between the public and the police.
“I joined the force in 1998, and lack of confidentiality and public trust has always been an issue between the public and the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force,” Sealy told reporters.
The Deputy Police Commissioner noted that over two decades later, the issue remains.
She spoke during Tuesday’s launch of the police Crime Hotline App.
The App allows users to send text messages, voice notes, or photos anonymously to the police.
Sealy said the police decided on the App to decrease the gap in the public’s trust.
She explained that the App does not record an IP address or needs a telephone number, email address, or other personal information input.
“The App was designed so we cannot pull any information from your devices,” Sealy stated.
In October this year, opposition leader Allen Chastanet wrote Police Commissioner Cruscita Descartes-Pelius expressing concern over Castries Central MP Richard Frederick’s utterances about the police.
Chastanet said the Housing Minister boasted about receiving confidential information on private citizens from police officers during his television talk show ‘Can I Help You,’.
In his letter, the United Workers Party (UWP) leader urged the Police Commissioner to address the matter immediately.
Chastanet also warned that if left unchecked, it would have severe implications for the integrity of and public confidence in the Police Force.
Headline photo is a file image of Dr. Mashama Sealy.
The App was designed so we cannot pull any information from your devices,” Sealy stated. Ha so was WhatsApp, who yall think yall fooling with that one? lool
Madam, the idea is great and it is a step in the right direction to mitigate crime. I believe it can be both a proactive and reactive tool in this fight.
However, there is zero confidence in the Police and it would be almost impossible for anyone to buy into such idea from the Police. Those folks who are likely to use the tool are really concern about security and I believe it is your duty to sell the security features of the App to the folks. In reading about the App, I am of the honest opinion that the App is not ready for production and there are lots of work to be done to make it secure and robust. There is more to tell about the current and future of the APP.
Failure to secure the app and make it robust, you might be tarnishing your reputation and the reputation of the organization at large. Therefore, It would would be in your best interest to put a team together (project team) with developers, testers, etc to ensure the app passes all the test. Please include some hackers on your project team to test their talent. By the sounds of it, this app was developed by an officer. With this going into production and the expectation is for the public to use; Who is currently managing the source code of the app ? Is it still in the hands of the one lone officer to make changes as he pleases ? Please go back and review your security on the app.
Get an independent company to perform an IT Security Audit on this system and publish the results if you want people to have some trust in it.
So therefore it is not an app it is an Instant messenger if it doesn’t need no credentials for authentication. I haven’t tested it out but i will, perhaps the Deputy is not properly informed to know what it required. If it is TTL or whatever it needs a protocol, perhaps its a chatbot however your mac/ip address must register somehow over the communication backbone. The police has lost its credibility a long time and it will not help to regain it, perhaps random ppl can share info but don’t bring that BS and say the app cannot trace you or required authentication, everything required authentication once needed to use the internet or some other data backbone
Too Many Unsolved Homicides and Other Serious Offences in St.Lucia .After 24Hours the Investigation is over .This is Really a Disgrace .Too many Highly Qualify Police Officers in the Rslpf and Nothing Happening .No Beat and patrol .Mobile patrol this is a Disgrace