Griffith on national award to ex-CoPs: 'What did they do to deserve it?'

FORMER commissioner of police Gary Griffith is questioning the reasoning behind the award of the Chaconia Silver to two former acting commissioners.

In a media release, he suggested the selection were politically motivated and called it "a dilution of the significance of the awards and a mockery of the positions."

“To quote a recent media report – ‘The Chaconia Medal is awarded for long and meritorious service to promote national welfare or strengthen community spirit in Trinidad and Tobago.'

“That is what the award is meant to celebrate, however, in the case of these two former acting commissioners of police, can anyone outline their accomplishments in these areas?”

He claimed that under their leadership, communities were shattered by crime and public trust in the police as at an all time low.

“One of these individuals oversaw a period marked by the highest level of kidnappings in our country’s history, a time that is still remembered as one of the most fearful in our nation’s history,” he said.

“So bad a job was he doing that the then administration formed SAUTT to target and combat runaway crime.

“The other individual presided over a period with the highest crime rates in the country’s history, only recently surpassed by the present commissioner. His ‘crime plan’ largely involved deflecting blame onto communities, society, the courts, and suggesting we pray rather than addressing the core issues plaguing national security.”

He said under the two acting commissioners public confidence plummeted to an all-time low of 14 per cent, but rose to 59 per cent in two years after they were gone.

“As acting commissioners, one can infer that the state at the time did not deem it fitting to elevate them to the post of commissioner. Given these facts, can anyone justify these awards?”