Public scrutiny for wannabe cops

THE EDITOR: The contents of reports of the Police Service Commission for the years 2001 and 2002, which were discussed in Parliament last Friday (27-08-2004), contain important information which, if heeded, will improve the police service and by extension lessen the crime rate considerably in Trinidad and Tobago. Members of Citizens for a Better Trinidad and Tobago (CBTT) were present in  Parliament and I must confess that after listening to the comments made by members of the Joint Select Committee (JSC) and the Police Service Commission as well as Police Commissioner, Trevor Paul, we have become even more convinced that changes are urgently needed to help improve our police service.

It’s time that we recruit better qualified citizens to become police officers. We agree with comments made in Parliament on Friday that those wishing to enter the police service should come under public scrutiny. Photos of people wishing to become police officers must be placed in public places so that citizens can identfy their previous activities which may make them unsuitable to become law enforcement officers. Absenteeism among police officers was also discussed. It is not uncommon for many criminal cases to be thrown out after complianants fail to repeatedly turn up in court. It was revealed in Parliament that one police officer was absent on 18 occasions. The national community is baffled over the many police officers who are exonerated from serious disciplinary charges brought against them. A large number of our citizens are interested in knowing the identity of the people who prosecute these offending officers.

The Report of the JSC, headed by Senator Professor Ramesh Deosaran, must be acted upon with a sense of urgency if we wish to have a better police service to fight lawlessness in our society. The committee has been appointed to inquire into and report on Municipal Corporations and Service Commissions with the exception of the Judicial and Legal Service Commision.

HARRACK BALRAMSINGH
CBTT, La Romaine