Certainty needed over top cop

IN TWO WEEKS, the contract of Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith is due to expire.

Yet the public has no idea what will happen come August 18.

That alone speaks volumes about how our public officials are functioning, the approach adopted by these officials to accountability, transparency, the transfer of power and the way they are running public institutions meant to serve the public interest.

We fully understand the top-cop appointment process was only recently amended by the Government and that this has unnecessarily saddled the Police Service Commission (PSC) with an unenviable time constraint.

We also appreciate the PSC has already advertised the post and received applications. Testing exercises – for which candidates have been asked to attend in-person half-day sessions – reportedly began two weeks ago and are due to last no longer than Friday, according to information posted on the PSC’s website.

But there is no indication as to how long the evaluation of candidates will last. There is no indication as to when Parliament might sit to debate the issue. There is silence on the role of President’s House under the new procedure and the various questions raised therein.

At no stage has a clear timeline been given to the public by any official or authority on this matter – for something as fundamental as the appointment of the leader of the country’s police.

It is because there is a time constraint in play, brought about by the expiration of Mr Griffith’s contract, that there is a heavier onus on the Government to account for the lateness of the changes made and for the PSC to bring clarity on the way forward.

There are many stop-gap options that could be implemented should the authorities desire, but if this is the case, such options have not been highlighted.

Indeed, none seem interested in allaying concerns that in the middle of a public health emergency, the officers charged with enforcing health regulations and maintaining order could potentially become rudderless as we await the outcome of current processes.

The Prime Minister must maintain a hands-off approach to the PSC’s evaluations. However, Dr Rowley’s administration is clearly responsible for the last-minute promulgation of changes to the process, as much as those changes save time.

It is notable that in an advisory to candidates, the PSC has given insight as to the skills it will be looking for.

“The 2021 environment of TT requires the Commissioner of Police to work differently,” the PSC said. “The ideal candidate must be able to overcome challenges as well as political, geopolitical, economic, social and environmental changes that arise.”

But it is not only the commissioner who must work differently. The State needs to do a better job at updating the public.