The Aruba Police Force (KPA) is facing several major challenges, including staff shortages, heavy workloads and the increasing impact of cases involving mental health problems.
The issue was discussed during a committee meeting attended by representatives of the KPA, the police union SPA and members of Parliament. The meeting highlighted the need for greater cooperation between the KPA, Respaldo and the government.
AVP parliamentarian John Hart described the meeting as productive, but said the challenges facing the KPA are significant and require urgent attention.
According to Hart, Parliament needs to put more pressure on the issue. He said one of the points raised during the meeting was the need to involve the Health Committee alongside the Justice Committee, allowing Parliament to take a closer look at the situation and work toward solutions.
Although the meeting was held behind closed doors and not all details could be disclosed, Hart said it is clear that the KPA faces significant challenges related to its responsibilities and the difficult situations police officers are called upon to handle.
Police dealing with mental health cases
SPA representative Daniel Fernandes Perna highlighted the difficulties police face when dealing with people displaying difficult behavior or experiencing psychological problems.
Both the KPA and Respaldo are dealing with staff and resource shortages, he said. The situation becomes even more difficult when there is no suitable facility available for people who require specialized care.
“This is when they end up in our hands, even though we are not specialists or trained to deal with people who have psychological problems,” Fernandes Perna said.
He stressed that responsibilities need to be clearly divided. Respaldo should handle matters related to care and mental health, while the KPA should focus on law enforcement and criminal justice matters.
Fernandes Perna added that police officers are spending many hours dealing with cases that do not necessarily fall under their responsibility. This places additional pressure on a police force that is already struggling with staff shortages.
SPA also said that the KPA, Respaldo and ImSan have met to work on an agreement. According to Fernandes Perna, the agreement could be finalized this week. He stressed, however, that the government must also find a suitable facility to care for people in these situations.
A problem dating back to 2012
Futuro parliamentarian Ruthlyn Lindor described the situation as a longstanding problem. Lindor, who previously worked for the KPA, said the issue is particularly personal to her because concerns and discussions about it have been ongoing since 2012.
“I worked very closely within the force. So this is something we have been fighting for since 2012,” she said.
After 14 years, Lindor said it is painful to see that many of the same problems still exist.
She also pointed to a lack of stability within the KPA’s structure, saying frequent changes in police chiefs and Ministers of Justice have contributed to a lack of continuity in projects and strategies.
Lindor referred to a letter she sent to the Minister of Justice last year asking about the introduction of a Crisis Intervention Team, a model used in several countries to respond to situations involving people experiencing a mental health crisis.
According to Lindor, not every situation needs to be handled by police. In some cases, a mental health professional may be better equipped to intervene, particularly when there is no direct threat to public safety.
For Lindor, it is time to move from discussion to action.
She also warned that the KPA is losing experienced personnel while several members of its staff are approaching retirement age. This, she said, is creating a gap within the organization that could become even larger if no structural solution is found.
The parliamentarians are calling on the government, KPA, Respaldo and other relevant authorities to continue working together to find concrete solutions to mental health cases, staff shortages and the workload currently placed on police officers.
