I don’t know what more to say

The courtroom wrestling over the Police Service Commission (PSC) and appointment of police commissioner bothers taxpayers too.

My former independent senator colleague the Rev Winston Joseph, like a few others, asked about the several recommendations from cabinet committees on reforming the PSC and improving the police service.

About a month ago, as former chairman of the PSC, I published a summary of the troubling issues in three dailies to help avoid the coming storm.

I now ask myself what more can I say or do?

The breakdown of the inefficient PSC structure and its convoluted process had to happen. And like a social scientist weatherman, I dutifully gave repeated warnings.

But as Chamber of Commerce CEO Gabriel Faria and economist Mariano Browne complained, “The government just does not listen.”

Many now worry over a country that they love and to which they have provided service to help improve public safety and governance. Their public service has been published in and out of Parliament. Today I speak for them too.

I speak about 2013, when PSC members and I met with then prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the attorney general, minister of national security and minister of justice. We explained the obstructive deficiencies in and around the PSC.

She graciously accepted our explanations and had her cabinet appoint a multi-sector review team with the general term of reference “to consider providing greater autonomy, relevance and clarity to the constitutional mandate and functions of the Police Service Commission.”

The 12 highly-qualified committee members included the attorney general, minister of national security, minister and permanent secretary in the Ministry of Public Administration, chief parliamentary counsel, chairman of the Law Reform Commission, president of the Police Social and Welfare Association and two management and legal consultants. The opposition was also invited (two members attended the first meeting).

I was appointed chairman. An extensive amount of research, analysis and consultations was done by the committee and its sub-committees. The committee’s report was submitted and considered by cabinet.

Nothing further. No wonder some committee members kept asking me, “What happened?”

Is it because of our divisive adversarial political system? Is it because of other political priorities? Or what?

Thirty-five administrative and legislative recommendations were made. A few items were kept, for example, Legal Notice 103 of 2009, which stated that “if the commissioner is absent for whatever reason and the appointment of his successor is pending,” the PSC “may appoint a person holding or acting in the office of deputy commissioner to act as commissioner.” Very simple.

However, this year Legal Notice 183 (Section 4) changed that to: “The commission may submit to the President a list of suitably qualified persons from among the ranks of the police service, including those on contract or previously on contract to act as commissioner… pending the conclusion of the procedure prescribed.”

Why this complicated change?

In January 2017 the government appointed a police manpower audit committee (PMAC) comprising eight highly-qualified members. The eight members were myself as chairman, Jacqueline Wilson (vice-chairman), Harold Phillip (acting DCP), Erla Christopher (acting DCP), Allan Meiguel (attorney), Dr Levis Guy-Obiakor, Anand Ramesar (acting assistant superintendent and member of Police Social and Welfare Association), and Dr Zameer Mohammed. Trevor Percival led a support team with hard-working secretary Diana Newsam.

Again, a lot of research, analyses, consultations was done. Almost 100 recommendations were made in a 600-page report to improve police service inside and outside, improve efficiency and accountability in terms of discipline, measured performance and reshaping the PSC.

Receiving the report in October 2017, the Prime Minister, Dr Rowley, promised to "take it to Cabinet" and “act quickly” on it as the “blueprint for police reform.”

The last thing we heard of this PMAC report was that it was laid in Parliament, then sent to a joint select committee chaired by MP Fitzgerald Hinds.

Certainly, a cabinet could shelve any report. But we can’t continue so.

My recall of the above examples is not to embarrass but, to say, given the convoluted, expensive mess the country now finds itself in, there is opportunity for statesmanship by both the government and opposition.

Reform the PSC. Do a quick review of the Constitution (Amendment) Act (No. 6 of 2006).

I know old soldiers never die. We keep on trying.

But for how long?