Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith is not completely dismissing the possibility of psychics being useful in solving crime, but said it was highly unlikely.
On the Back Page of the December 18 edition of the SATURDAY SUN, members of the clergy said there was no need for psychics as only God knew the future, while others said anyone who might be blessed by God with any visions should not charge thousands of dollars to share them.
Overseas, although there are documented cases of individuals claiming psychic abilities assisting police in solving crimes, there is considerable scepticism in regard to the general use of psychics under these circumstances.
They are termed psychic detectives who purportedly use abilities such as post-cognition (the paranormal perception of the past), psychometry (information psychically gained from objects), telepathy, dowsing, clairvoyance and remote viewing to assist in crime cases. In murder cases, psychic detectives may even purport to be in communication with the spirits of the murder victims.
In Barbados, there are no recorded cases of psychic assistance in crime investigations and there are no provisions in the law to accommodate such activity. However, Griffith said the police were duty bound to investigate any information they received.
“I personally don’t believe in it but I would entertain them, although it’s the level of importance which would be attached to their information,” he said.
Police public relations officer, Acting Inspector Roland Cobbler, said the law was always open to anyone willing to provide information but added there was nothing in the law which supported psychic phenomena. (CA)
