Fire and Safety, Police and Forensic set to go before Select Committee

A Select Committee has been put in place to examine three bills- the Fire and Safety, Police and Antigua and Barbuda Forensic Services acts.

This committee will comprise of St. Johns Rural West MP Richard Lewis, St Phillips South MP Sherfield Bowen, All Saints West MP Anthony Smith, St. Johns City East MP Melford Nicholas and chairman Attorney General Steadroy Benjamin.

The committee will consult with several individuals where their comments and concerns will be heard following those consultations, the bills will come before Parliament again.

The Leader of the Opposition Jamale Pringle agreed over the establishment of this committee and even selected two MPs on his side to be apart of the bodyduring Parliament’s sitting on Tuesday afternoon.

The Police Bill, 2025, seeks to repeal and replace the existing Police Act (Cap. 330) to modernize the legal framework governing the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda.

The Bill introduces enhanced governance structures, streamlines the roles and responsibilities of police officers, and incorporates contemporary policing methodologies while ensuring accountability, efficiency, and public trust in law enforcement.

A welcomed move as the issue of police brutality has been a reoccurring theme over the years. Just this week, a video went viral where two officers, one in uniform and the other in plain clothes had an altercation with an elderly man.

Many in the public believe these officers who are found guilty of such an offence sometime get a slap on the wrist.

The Bill also provides for improved mechanisms for police oversight, professional development, welfare, and pension benefits. It further aligns with regional and international best practices in policing and criminal justice.

The renaming of the Police force into the Police service will also be done under this bill.

While the Fire Safety and Safety rescue bill aims to modernise Antigua and Barbuda’s emergency response framework by renaming the existing Fire Department as the Fire and Rescue Service, separating from the police force.

Command structures will be reformed, placing daily operational oversight under a newly designated Chief Fire Officer. A Fire Service Board will also be established to handle appointments, promotions, transfers, and disciplinary actions.

Additionally, a Fire and Rescue Service Welfare Association will be created to safeguard the welfare and efficiency of subordinate officers.