Hinds: There may be nepotism, but cops recruited must meet criteria

This was the view of Minister in the Ministry of National Security, Fitzgerald Hinds, who noted that nepotism was part of Trinidad and Tobago culture. He was responding to concerns about nepotism and favouritism in the recruitment process of the Police Service at yesterday’s meeting of the Joint Select Committee of Parliament and the Police Complaints Authority..

This issue was raised by UNC Senator Wade Mark who noted that according to the Report of the Police Service Commission much of the problems in the Police Service stemmed from nepotism, favouritism, improper background checks and partisanship.

Hinds, while "not wanting to discount" the issue, stated that one had to be "realistic." "We can’t dismiss our culture. If a man has to employ someone and he knows that of the three applicants, one happens to be his colleague’s son, daughter or relative, chances are that he is going to take that person, once they meet the qualifications," he said.

But Hinds stressed all trainees in the Police Service had to meet certain entry requirements — to be under the age of 35, be a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, have three O’levels, (including English) and be of good and sound character (ie present a police certificate of good character showing no criminal convictions.) "But of course," he added, "after 1990 when the Police Headquarters burnt and the records were destroyed there might very well be persons who got into not only the Police Service, but maybe into the Parliament, and all areas of Trinidad and Tobago, with criminal records that are not known. That is the reality."

Hinds also addressed the issue of the "deep seated reluctance" of police officers to investigate other police officers. While conceding that this was so, Hinds contended that this was a "human thing" which applied across the board to many professions. "It happens in the medical field, the legal field, politicians and teachers. Trust me, it happens. It is a human condition that professionalism, training, good will and committment ... are the necessary ingredients to overcome," he said.

Noting that the law required policemen to investigate the complaints made to the PCA, Hinds suggested that the Authority be given the competence to investigate complaints on its own (independent of the Police Service). Hinds said improper police behaviour ranged from the most minor — such as steupsing, discourtesy, not recording an incident — to major transgressions such as kidnapping, robbery and rape. He stated that when it came to the more serious levels of police misconduct, the record showed that appropriate action was usually taken by the Police Service against its own members. He conceded however there was a level of tolerance within the Police Service of the lower levels of police misconduct.

Hinds said he was amazed that the then chairman of the PSC (Kenneth Lalla) could have recommended the establishment of an ethnically balanced committee as a resolution to the problems within the Police Service. The Minister said, "He (Lalla) did not recommend that a committee of persons with a certain kind of expertise and experience be established, but an ethnically balanced committee." He added, "When I read that a couple of years ago and heard it again today as it was read into the records (by Mark) I jumped. Because we are trying to solve problems and I saw it then and now as not solving problems but creating problems where none exist," he said. Hinds said he always wanted to ask the former chairman (Lalla) "how in God’s earth an ethnically balanced committee could solve these problems."