| The Barbados Police Service | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | TBPS |
| Motto | To serve, protect and reassure |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1835 |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Barbados, West Indies |
| Governing body | Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs (Barbados) |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Barbados Police Headquarters Roebuck Street, Bridgetown,St. Michael, Barbados |
| Elected officer responsible |
|
| Agency executive |
|
| Website | |
| www.barbadospolice.gov.bb | |
The Barbados Police Service (TBPS), previously called theRoyal Barbados Police Force (RBPF), is thelaw enforcement agency inBarbados, as established under the Police Act, Cap. 167.[1] Richard Boyce is currentlyCommissioner of the Police.
TBPS is divided into five operational divisions: the Northern Division, Southern Division, Bridgetown Division, Criminal Investigations Division and Operations Support Division. These are supported by the Administrative Services Division[2] The organisational structure of the TBPS is modelled afterLondon'sMetropolitan Police Service.
In recent years, a growing number of Barbadian police officers have been recruited to take up jobs in theBermuda Police Service.[3]
The main Police Force of Barbados was established in 1835.[4]Soon after its founding the Police Force informally hadmounted policemen, however in 1880 an actual mounted division was recognised and known as the Mounted Corps. (later renamed the Mounted Branch in 1933.) In 1882, the Harbour Police Force was unified with the main land division after it had been established separately in 1867. Roughly 100 years later in the 1980s the Harbour Police unit was dissolved entirely.
Theprefix "Royal" was added to the title of the Police Force in February 1966 during a visit to Barbados byQueen Elizabeth II, which was retained until November 2021, becoming part of the name and identity of the force in the interim.
In 1981, the Royal Barbados Police Force became a full member of theInternational Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).[5]
In 2021, the name The Barbados Police Service was selected to be the new name for the Royal Barbados Police Force and replaced the old name whenBarbados became a republic on November 30, 2021. The name was selected to reflect the removal ofthe Queen as head of state and as stated by the Minister of Legal Affairs Dale Marshall, "...the police force as it is now and as we want it to be in the future, has to be more than the notion of brute strength, a force pushing against people and pushing against objects because policing has long ago stopped being centered on brawn and force".[6]
The headquarters for TBPS is in the former Barclays Bank Complex on Lower Roebuck Street, Bridgetown, Saint Michael.[7]
The headquarters houses the Commissioner of Police; the Deputy Commissioner of Police; the offices of all assistant commissioners of police; all staff officers of the above commissioners; the secretary to the Commissioner of Police; the Research and Development Department; the Police Registry; and the Office of Compliance.
| Royal Barbados Police Force ranks | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Constable | Sergeant | Station Sergeant | Inspector | Assistant Superintendent | Superintendent | Senior Superintendent | Assistant Commissioner of Police | Deputy Commissioner of Police | Commissioner of Police |
| Epaulette Insignia (to 2021) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |
These insignia were amended, removingSt Edward's Crown and replacing it with theCoat of Arms of Barbados as country became arepublic in the Commonwealth of Nations on 30 November 2021.
District Police Stations:
Motto: To protect, serve and reassure.
