Police Service Commissioners slammed for non-performance

Speaking at a meeting of the Joint Select Committee of Parliament, Montano criticised the PSC for not holding the commissioner to account for investigating a serious allegation made against Assistant Commissioner of Police Oswyn Allard, involving $300,000 of marked money from the kidnapping of the Nath brothers.

Montano added that one week after a report to this effect appeared in the newspapers, a police officer in the AKS was accidentally shot, "not once, but nine times." "Have you asked for a report on that? Because that so called accidental shooting sounds to me more like murder than an accident," he said.

PSC Chairman Christopher Thomas said the PSC had asked the commissioner for a report. "And have you got a report?" Montano asked. "Not yet," Thomas said. "Why not?" Montano shot back. "It is not good enough to come here and say that you asked for a report. When did you ask for the report? One week after the shooting took place? One month?" he asked.

PSC Chairman Prof Ramesh Deosaran asked acting DPA Chairman Dawn Harding if she received such correspondence. She said she couldn’t recall such correspondence being sent. "You cannot recall such an important issue like this?" Deosaran asked incredulously.

Montano said he was not satisfied with the performance of all persons who had any interaction with the management of crime. Saying he believed that he was speaking for the vast majority of the population, Montano said the efficiency of the police was awful. "Everybody is pointing a finger at the other guy (saying) ‘it’s his fault, it’s not my fault.’

Saying that the same persons who take the credit when crime goes down, should take the blame when crime goes up, Montano said, "This morning I am holding you accountable because as far as I am concerned, you all are a bunch of cowards. You have not dealt with the police commissioner. You have not dealt with the issue of crime. You have allowed crime to go haywire. And there is not accountability."

"There is non-performance and I am fed up coming here week after week, month after month, getting obfuscatory answers to direct questions," he said. Montano asked Thomas if he was satisfied with the performance of the police commissioner in the management of crime situation. Thomas said this was a matter for "the employer" (the Ministry of National Security), not the commissioner.

This statement provoked criticism from PNM Mp Hedwidge Bereaux. Bereaux reminded Thomas that when he was asked his views on the Police Service Reform bills, he (Thomas) stated that the bills were inimical to the interests of the country, that it brought politics into the control of the Police Service, and that it spelt doom. "But when asked by Senator Montano about the performance of the commissioner, he said that his performance is a matter for his employer (the Minister of National Security). You have to be either fish or fowl, Mr chairman," Bereaux stated.

Bereaux said that as an MP, he had already decided a long time ago that he would vote for any measure — including a draconian matter — which would address the crime situation. That, he said, was why he didn’t see the need to march last Saturday.