Slow to praise

WHEN a commissioner of police (CoP) is chosen, the matter is debated in Parliament. This is fitting. The public has an interest in scrutinising the candidate.

Even the Police Service Commission (PSC) – the body that designates and appraises the commissioner – is subject to scrutiny. Motions to appoint PSC members go to the House.

So why should the CoP’s appraisal be secret? The performance of a sitting commissioner is of even more relevance to the public.

The current PSC seems content to diverge from past practices. It used to be the case that the PSC would update the country regularly. So it was under the chairmanship of Maria Gomes, Ramesh Deosaran, Nizam Mohammed, and Christopher Thomas.

The law places emphasis on reporting and accountability. The commissioner reports to the PSC; the PSC reports to Parliament; anyone wronged by the CoP may appeal to the PSC.

Why cloak appraisal – even if intended for the benefit of the commissioner – in secrecy?

It is bad enough that the PSC’s efforts were frustrated by the pandemic; worse now for its late assessment to come out of the mouth of the very person assessed.

To his credit, Commissioner Gary Griffith showed little hesitation in releasing his report card. Perhaps this was because the PSC seemingly found much to commend, giving him an overall rating of 81.7 per cent for January-December 2019.

But what has happened since?

By Griffith’s account, crime is down 25 per cent, with 80 less murders.

The PSC did note past problems with the commissioner’s record-keeping and court case management. And it suggested he improve his communication skills.

We disagree with those who think Mr Griffith has problems communicating. He daily articulates contempt for key stakeholders around him, disdain of criticism, and a propensity to smear the integrity of those who are inconvenient.

“For those who want to criticise and find the reduction in every single violent crime in this country by 25 per cent is because of covid, wheel and come again,” Mr Griffith said on Wednesday.

He referred to a surge in crime in major US cities such as New York to support his claim, avoiding the fact that in April crime dropped dramatically there before a rebound. A similar phenomenon occurred in the UK, Japan, Australia, El Salvador, South Africa and India.

A drop in crime is good. And we have no problem giving praise when it is due.

But Mr Griffith must comprehend the implications of another fact he avoided on Wednesday.

For this year alone, close to 50 people have been killed during confrontations with police, over 80 per cent more than the comparable figure for last year.

Nobody needs the PSC to appraise that.