Introduction

The acknowledgement of state police as important sociopolitical actors is not new (Tankebe, 2008). For many former colonies with complex diasporic histories, state police have always played a critical role in the establishment and maintenance of law and order, and often served as the most visible representation of the character of governance (Bayley, 2005). The contemporary shift in focus to a less confrontational image of police premised on the maintenance of democratic rule is largely viewed as an attempt to learn from past experiences (both local and foreign) and to disassociate from a British colonial policing model grounded in turbulent decolonization processes (Sinclair, 2017). For many countries in the global South, particularly small-island developing states (SIDS), attempts at rebranding police have neither significantly impacted police legitimacy nor positively impacted on community perceptions of police or policing (Trnka, 2011; Watson, 2016; Stamatakis, 2019; Adams, 2020). In such contexts, police legitimacy and accountability are constantly questioned.

The authenticity of the police ‘service’ agenda tends to be underscored by allegations of undemocratic and unlawful policing practices, along with large-scale public distrust and strongly expressed dissatisfaction with police and policing (Jauregui, 2013; Watson, 2016). Though different histories of colonial subjugation have shaped discourses on police and policing practices, several themes centred on questions of police legitimacy, fairness, susceptibility to political influence, lawfulness and monopoly of power remain concurrent throughout existing literature. Attempts at image management, posturing to gain public popularity and rebranding for improved relations with the public suggest either an awareness of a problem with the way police are perceived by the public or an identified need to revise policing strategies for improved service delivery (or both). What is evident is that the model of policing in former colonies remains a work in progress.

This chapter echoes sentiments about the importance of acknowledging colonial undercurrents that continue to inform governance processes which pervade concepts of law-and-order maintenance and enforcement. It draws on examples from Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) to support arguments about the proliferation of problematic policing models, demonstrative of the disconnect between the state and the larger populace.