JSC: Few police complaints probed

She made the point as she chaired a sitting of the Joint Select Committee (JSC) of Parliament probing the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) on Tuesday in the Red House.

Quoting from a recent PCA Report, she said: "From May 1, 2002 to September 30, 2003, 4,063 complaints were received, and only 169 have been investigated and reported — a mere four percent."

Anmolsingh-Mahabir wanted answers.

"The committee would like to hear from the officials, an explanation for the escalation of this most disturbing and alarming trend of public and official complaints against our police officers who have the sacred duty to protect and serve."

She said the PCA was not responsible for the lack of investigation into many complaints against police officers (who are in fact investigated by the Complaints Division of the Police Service).

"The Police Complaints Authority has limited powers and is absolutely dependent on the police investigations to investigate themselves. It’s a case of ‘police investigating police’."

She explained that Act 17 of 1993 section 5 merely empowers the PCA to receive complaints, monitor investigation of the complaints, receive the resulting reports, and report to the Minister of National Security. Anmolsingh-Mahabir said is it important to investigate complaints against police officers because the Police Service Regulations require officers to "punctually and promptly" perform their duties and be "courteous and polite".

The Police Service, she added, was the internal guardian of its citizens. Each citizen, she said, has an inalienable right to life, liberty, security of the person, and enjoyment of property.

While noting that the social contract called for the State to protect its citizens, she said: "The intolerable high level of crime must be of utmost concern to us as lawmakers and part of the very institution of the State."