From politician to police chief

THE EDITOR: Just under six months in office and still getting his feet wet, Police Commissioner Gary Griffith has been ordered to rest by his doctors, but would he comply with such an order without some degree of hesitation?

The commissioner’s dear wife, friends and relatives who are near and dear to him should set the tone for his well-deserved vacation. They should coerce him into taking off the boots even though it may be only for a short stint.

Compliance with his doctor’s order at this crucial hour would indicate to his deputies that he does repose that confidence in them to carry on in the same vein in his absence.

Having taken the prescribed leave of absence the opportunity for a new beginning arises and should be seized by the super top cop.

In this new beginning Griffith must give way to his communications specialist. He must be mindful of the fact that he is not the office-type commissioner and being on the battleground with his men facing trigger-happy gunmen, his utterances to media personnel could at times be shrouded with emotions.

The recent “one shot, one kill” statement to which the Law Association and other bodies took objection was testimony to the ill-timed comment. In order to avoid a recurrence the commissioner should consider setting aside a day to pursue his office duties during which time it may be appropriate to hold his media conferences.

In a mere five months in office, Griffith, a no-nonsense commissioner, has already raised the bar and has set his standard high. He must now render himself likeable and approachable to all citizens including the common criminal from whom he can personally extract information on crimes committed by other criminals.

With the commissioner’s flexible personality, the way must be paved for interaction with the criminal elements. There are individuals with critical information concerning nationals who have just vanished and on murder investigations that have stalled along the way. These gory details must be unearthed.

Grounding off on one another is not unusual in the criminal arena. This occurs for various reasons and in the interest of crime detection and crime suppression this breach should be nurtured and embraced. In Griffith’s new beginning it would be profitable to plant in those fields where there is an abundance of fertile soil.

Prior to seeking foreign assistance to deal with the country’s cold cases, Griffith should try sourcing these investigative skills from within his ranks and from retired policemen who may be willing to return to share their expertise.

Apparently, overwhelmed with enthusiasm and exuberance our Police Commissioner may have been toiling for too many hours without the requisite periodic breaks, thereby expending too much energy daily.

He must be advised to tone down for health reasons and heed the biblical quotation, “The race is not for the swift nor the battle for the strong, it is for those who endure to the end.”

The politician turned police chief has had a swift start and has been given a 100 per cent rating by the population for job performance. He must however be cognisant of the fact that he has entered a race that had already begun.

Based on his aptitude and strong passion for his job, our commissioner should be closely monitored and urged to rest intermittently as this is of essence in order to rally and endure till the “race” finally ends.

DAVID C O’NEAL

via e-mail