That Five Miles tragedy

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I am writing with reference to The Gleaner editorial on the Five Miles tragedy, and would like to extend condolences to the families of Corporal Trevoy Shaw and Constable Devoney Rose, who gave their lives in the service of their country.

The Gleaner is right to endorse the prime minister’s call to reject the idea of gang leaders as Robin Hood figures. Men who use a child as bait and shelter behind the vulnerable are predators, and communities that shield them are only deepening their own suffering.

Yet, the same law that must be applied to criminals must also guide the response of the State. Professional restraint is not weakness, and it does not insult the memory of fallen colleagues; it is what separates a disciplined force from the lawlessness it confronts.

The figures from the Independent Commission of Investigations should trouble every citizen, with 237 fatal police shootings so far this year and 311 for all of 2025. Behind each number is a family, and some of those deaths may have been avoidable with better planning and more patience.

The most urgent lesson from Five Miles is the need for specially trained police hostage negotiators. Negotiation is a science that demands training in psychology, communication, and crisis management, and it cannot be left to the instincts of officers already under fire.

Such a unit should be well resourced and available to every parish, so that when a child is held or surrender is offered, trained professionals can verify intentions and control the pace of the encounter. A feigned surrender should never again draw brave officers into the open.

Training should also teach officers to recognise deception, to hold covered positions, and to resist the pull of emotion in the heat of the moment. Rehearsed protocols save lives, both those of officers and those of the innocent.

The JCF should also conduct the comprehensive tactical review that The Gleaner editorial suggests, and share its findings so the public can see that lessons are being learned. Transparency builds the trust that police need if communities are to become partners in the fight against crime.

ROBERT DALLEY