Deosaran urges new PM to reform police promotion process

CRIMINOLOGIST Prof Ramesh Deosaran, former chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), is hoping that on taking office, prime minister-designate Stuart Young will start a reform of the process used for police promotions, after several criticisms by High Court judge Justice Frank Seepersad.

Insp Mark Hernandez filed a judicial review claim questioning the fairness of the performance appraisal and promotion process.

On February 18, Seepersad ruled the Police Service must restart its entire promotion process for officers advancing from inspector to Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), saying the current process was so “deficient and defective” as to produce "fundamental and egregious” breaches.

He said the errors and regulatory breaches were not isolated nor minimal, but “numerous, substantial, seemingly deliberate, pervasive, and profound.”

Seepersad said the process used was far too lenient on candidates, such that all got an automatic grade of "outstanding," rather than the existing rules being followed so as to more properly allow a differentiation between candidates.

“Every restrictive regulatory requirement of the promotion process, as imposed by Parliament, was disregarded and no procedural step can now be initiated to cure the defects and illegality which ensued.” He also said the interviewing panels were not properly comprised.

Seepersad largely blamed suspended Commissioner of Police (CoP) Erla Harewood-Christopher. “The commissioner failed to effectively and efficiently discharge her function under Section 123A of the Constitution and she together with the contracted party performed a great disservice to the taxpayers of this country and to the officers of the police service who applied to be promoted to the rank of ASP."

Deosaran said Seepesad remarked that from its inception, the promotion exercise was so mishandled it filled the court with “a sense of dread.”

The former chairman of the Police Manpower Audit Committee said the judge's ruling had raised at least four serious issues.

"The first issue shows the chaotic state of the police service human resource management."

The second showed the dangers in promoting officers who may not be qualified to assume the higher ranks, while some close to retirement may lose an opportunity for promotion.

"Thirdly, the overall essence of this judgement again cries out for a review of the recruitment and promotion systems of the police service.

"Fourthly, the need for an urgent review of the PSC's powers to effectively monitor the CoP’s role in such deepened exercises as staff assessment and promotion."

Deosaran opined that these combined issues put an already wounded police service further into a bad light.

"And if not tackled quickly and urgently, they will help push the entire police service further into a regrettable zone of administrative and operational collapse and in fact, making it extremely difficult for any new police commissioner to perform his or her duties effectively and efficiently."

He said Seepersad had blamed Harewood-Christopher for the flawed promotion process.

"This national security challenge for police service and PSC reforms should be a top priority for the new PM, Stuart Young, if he intends to quickly demonstrate his leadership qualities."