The new online process for the Police Certificate of Character has shown its efficiency in only a few days.
Since going “Live” last Monday, March 2nd, the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) received 978 applications, and of those 436 certificates were issued.
“Not only does this online process improve the operational efficiency within the Police Certificate of Character Office, it enhances the Force’s service to the public,” Senator The Hon. Kay McConney, Minister of Innovation, Science and Smart Technology (MIST) expressed during the official launch at Prince Cave Hall, Police Band Headquarters, District ‘A’ Complex, yesterday.
She said that at all levels, the process was inefficient; the wait for a Certificate of Character sometimes took weeks; and both the transaction costs and opportunity costs were higher than necessary.
In fact, Senator McConney pointed out that only up to a maximum of 120 applications were received in a day, under the old system.
“Compare this 978 applications to the maximum that would have been received last week, under the old system, where most people would still be waiting for their Certificates of Character all like now, and you will note a 60% increase. That is only in 5 days,” she emphasized.
“The journey that Barbados is on in digital transformation is one that puts people at the centre; where we make it easier for people to do business with government in every area, as well as make it more efficient for public officers, including Police, to do their work. I think all of us here would agree that the world has changed.”
However, she made it clear that technology alone is not the final answer to some of the most pressing problems in crime and justice.
She went on to explain that what technology can do, as it does in this case of the Certificate of Character, is relieve officers to do higher value work that requires human relationships and person-to-person intervention to fight crime, protect the community and to serve justice.
Furthermore, the Senator said that MIST was happy to have provided support for the digitization of over 60,000 conviction records, process reengineering, technological solutions, change management, communications for public education and training.
“I want to compliment the Force for continuing to keep those records up-to-date on a daily basis to ensure that we remain current and we have capacity to truly search those records with accuracy when it comes to issuing the certificate of character.”
Deputy Commissioner of Police Erwin Boyce welcomed the process which has persons applying for a police certificate of character by logging on to www.gov.bb or by visiting the Royal Barbados Police Force’s Facebook page and filling out the application form.
“The Force acknowledges a fundamental change to our processes; our systems, and we celebrate this as the beginning of a new era in police public relations. And as an advancement of an efficiency model which I may dear say at this time forms an integral part of our strategic objectives in our modernization agenda.”
“In other words, the journey to modernization within the Force has started. The members of the Force understand that change is here and that change is only constant in a growing organization,” he said. (TL)