Cops: No to vetted units, leave us out of politicking

THE Police Service Social and Welfare Association (PSSWA) on Monday strongly condemned statements by the Prime Minister about the establishment of vetting units in the police service to weed out rogue police officers.

Dr Rowley's proposal to establish the units was also questioned by former Police Service Commission (PSC) chairman Prof Ramesh Deosaran and attorney Martin George.

Rowley spoke about the units at a PNM political meeting in San Fernando on Saturday. He also raised the matter again on Sunday during a National Security Council meeting at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann's.

In a radio interview, PSSWA president ASP Gideon Dickson signalled the union's objection to Rowley's comments.

"We are not supporting any establishment of any new units."

Dickson said units to vet officers already existed within the police. He identified them as the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

Should there be a concern about increased rogue activity in the police, Dickson had a suggestion to address it.

"If it means redeploying (assets) in those sections (to do more work), then we do that."

He said the officers in the PSB and ACB already earn higher salaries than their counterparts in other police units.

Dickson, however, did not disagree with Rowley's comments about rogue elements in the police.

But he believed police continued to be unfairly singled out in that regard.

"Don't single out the police when we have a total breakdown in societal structures and institutions."

Dickson was concerned about how damaging public comments made by politicians, including Rowley, could have on the morale of police officers.

"The police are coming in for all the licks."

Dickson understood that TT was in the middle of a local government election campaign and all politicians were trying to score points against one another. He called on all parties contesting the elections to leave the police out of their politicking.

He reminded all politicians that they needed the support of the police to bring crime under control.

"You need us and we need you. We are working together. Stop blaming the police."

Dickson dismissed the argument that police officers did not want vetting units because they feared them.

He said he personally subscribed to integrity for everyone.

"I want to be the first to be vetted. To the side of me must be all the politicians and all my colleagues."

Dickson said vetting had been taking place in the police since 2010. The vetting, he continued, has been taking place in several areas, including recruitment and the selection of officers to join specific units.

"We are not fearful of it. We are doing it."

He said the best way to fight the current crime wave was to have officers in the stations, out in the field and using various strategies that ensured repeat offenders did not act with impunity.

Should that happen and all stakeholders work with the police, Dickson said, "TT will return to a level of order and peace."

Dickson said the PSSWA would be speaking with its 6,500-strong membership on the matter.

In an e-mailed statement on Monday, Deosaran said, "It is not a simple matter of forming another investigative and oversight unit without considering the role of the PSB (Professional Standards Bureau), PCA (Police Complaints Authority) and even the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)."

He said the matter should also be carefully considered in respect of the powers granted to the CoP by Section 123 of the Constitution and the Police Service Act.

Section 123 (1) gives the PSC the power to discipline and remove officers from the police service.

Under Section 123 (2) the PSC is forbidden to act against any police officer "on the grounds of any act done or omitted to be done by him in the exercise of a judicial function conferred upon him unless the Judicial and Legal Service Commission concurs therein."

Deosaran said, "After all, officers alleged to be corrupt have to be charged, allowed to respond, judged and possibly prosecuted. While collaboration and supplementary assistance may be welcome, redundancy and operational conflict should be avoided."

George, a former PSC member, was concerned about the increased pay proposed for officers in the units Rowley referred to.

He believed this could increase corruption in the police instead of reducing it.

"Money is never a good motivator to get people to do the right thing.

"When you look at it over the years, it is not money that motivates good and dedicated persons to do their jobs."

He added, "It is not money that motivated these people."

George said people who provide tips to Crime Stoppers are motivated "by a sense of civic duty and a sense of doing the right thing."

This story was originally published with the headline: Griffith, Martin George question new police units, and has been adjusted to include additional details.
See original post below.

FORMER commissioner of police (CoP) Gary Griffith and attorney Martin George have questioned the rationale behind the creation of special vetted units in the police service to root out corrupt police officers.

The Prime Minister spoke about these units at a PNM political meeting in San Fernando on Saturday.

Dr Rowley raised the matter again on Sunday during a National Security Council meeting at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann's.

In a WhatsApp reply to Newsday on Monday, Griffith described the creation of these units as senseless.

"You are going to have a vetted unit within the police service to vet police officers and then who is going to vet the vetted unit?

"When does it end?"

Griffith said the exercise of rooting out corrupt police officers in the service was taking place while he was CoP. Units such as the Special Branch, Special Operations Response Team (SORT) and the police's social media monitoring unit were involved in that exercise.

He lamented that some of the units used to address the issue of rogue elements in the police service were shut down after he demitted office.

George, a former Police Service Commission (PSC) member, was concerned about the increased pay proposed for officers in the units Rowley referred to.

He believed this could increase corruption in the police service instead of reducing it.

"Money is never a good motivator to get people to do the right thing."

"When you look at it over the years, it is not money that motivates good and dedicated persons to do their jobs."

He added, "It is not money that motivated these people."

George said people who provide  tips to Crime Stoppers are motivated "by a sense of civic duty and a sense of doing the right thing."