Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin told Antigua and Barbuda’s newest police officers on Thursday that no government can legislate or provide the integrity needed to earn the public’s trust, urging them to make ethical conduct the cornerstone of their careers.
Delivering the keynote address at the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda’s 50th Recruit Training Course graduation ceremony, Benjamin said governments can invest millions in law enforcement, but the character of individual officers will ultimately determine the force’s reputation.
“Governments can provide equipment, governments can provide technology, governments can provide buildings, but governments cannot manufacture integrity,” Benjamin said. “Integrity comes from within.”
He reminded the graduates that the badge they now wear carries significant responsibility and that every decision they make will reflect not only on themselves but on the entire police organization.
“When no one is looking, that is when your integrity is tested,” he said, urging the recruits to “do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.”
Benjamin said the public’s confidence in the police is built over time through professionalism, fairness and honesty rather than through words alone.
“People may forget what you said, but they will never forget what you did,” he said, adding that officers must lead by example both on and off duty.
He told the recruits they are now “guardians of the law” and reminded them that “the public will judge this organization by your conduct.”
Benjamin said the government will continue investing in modern policing through improved technology, infrastructure and training, but stressed that those investments can only be effective if officers maintain the highest ethical standards.
He encouraged the graduates to protect the reputation of the Royal Police Force by carrying out their duties with humility, courage and integrity, saying those qualities cannot be taught solely in a classroom but must guide every officer throughout his or her career.
This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Benjamin Tells New Officers Integrity Cannot Be Legislated by Government.