Griffith on cops' concerns: PSB no witch hunt

Police Commissioner Gary Griffith this afternoon sought to reassure senior police officers that investigations by the police Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) were not intended to malign or defame any officers and said he was aware of the concerns of some over the procedure of investigations.

Griffith responded to complaints from senior officers who said the procedure for investigating a police officer was significantly longer compared than that for investigating civilians, and one police officer claimed he was kept in a cell for up to five days before even being asked a question in relation to the investigation.

"I have heard of such concerns," said the CoP. "I cannot change what may have taken place in the past.

"I don't think there were any such concerns since my term in office. but the PSB is not to be seen as an avenue to witch-hunt or unjustly accuse and discipline police officers without due process."

He said the process was to ensure there is a certain degree of professionalism and standards were upheld, and some some changes had been made to the bureau recently which were expected to fast-track and improve its performance.

Griffith said the changes came with the restructuring and included meetings between the PSB and the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) to ensure a stronger relationship was maintained.

He also said 180 outstanding files had been submitted from the PCA to the PSB to ensure the matters were addressed.

Speaking with Newsday earlier, one officer said several of his colleagues were "very unhappy" over the way investigations were done, saying they were were initiated by unverified reports of misconduct.