‘Less talk,more action’

Despite earning a reputation as one of the more talkative public figures, Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith has pledged to follow through on talk of crime-fighting with action.

He said he is prepared to commit himself to the duties of his new office, as he and the heads of the protective services held a press conference at the Ministry of National Security at Temple Court, Abercromby Street yesterday.

Responding to questions from Newsday on what he will be most eager to tackle, now he has assumed office, Griffith said he understood the tremendous responsibility he has now been charged with, was up to the task, and promised less talk and more action from the police under his leadership.

“This is not going to be a Gary Griffith Show. I intend to work as much as possible with all stakeholders, including the citizens of this country to ensure that their most fundamental rights will be protected. My intention is to ensure that public trust and confidence is brought back to the police service.

“I will be doing much less talk and more action. I can assure you I will not let you down.”

Griffith also said he was prepared to prove his worth to the police and intended to earn the respect of all officers under him.

“I intend to show my maturity and leadership and I intend to act in that responsible manner. I can assure you that there are many initiatives and policies that will be implemented to ensure a reduction in crime and also to take away the perception and fear of crime.”

He also said since being appointed, he has been bombarded with suggestions from the public on how to reduce crime and will be taking all of them seriously. He said the public has an important role to play in reducing crime.

Despite not wanting to divulge too much about his immediate plans, Griffith confirmed that internal corruption and police misconduct remain a top priority for him and said he intended to bring scientific methods to the way officers are assessed. “I intend to use four principles, leadership, good management, measurement of performance and accountability which will ensure that officers can be made accountable and their performance can be measured. It should not only be seen as disciplining a police officer, but also as a yardstick to ensure the officer can be measured on his performance.”

National Security Minister Stuart Young echoed Griffith’s sentiments and said he looked forward to working with him. He also confirmed that Griffith received his official letter of appointment from the ministry’s permanent secretary Thursday night.

Newsday understands Griffith returned to TT Thursday night, mere hours after Cabinet approved the terms and conditions of his appointment. Young also confirmed that a “reasonable” package had been offered to and accepted by Griffith. He said before yesterday’s press conference, he, Griffith and the heads of the protective services held a short meeting to make sure they were “on the same page.”

Young also extended his thanks on behalf of the government to former acting CoP Stephen Williams, who left TT yesterday on vacation, from which he is expected to return on Independence Day.