Rethink the Police Service Commission

A reader called recently and raised quite a storm about how this country was going to the dogs because of “out-of-control violent crime,” and went on to question who ‘truly’ monitors the operations of the Police Force.

As far as the caller was concerned, and rightfully so, the responsibility of all things related to the Police Force rests with the Minister of National Security who, in our case, just happens to be the Prime Minister.  

The caller ’s sentiments is caused cause a knock – on reaction that spur a deep look into what was express .

As it stand , other than the Minister with responsibility for the Police Force the only other constitutional body that has any ” say ’ in the way the Police Force is govern and operate is a body we call the Police Service Commission ( herein refer to as the PSC ) , whose membership also comprise the more overarching body know as the Public Service Commission .

As we understand it, “the PSC is an independent body that has the power to appoint, discipline, and dismiss police officers below the rank of Deputy Commissioner.” 

What does all is have of this have to do with crime and fight crime ?  

There is no getting away from it:  Crime/criminality is the greatest scourge in our country.  It affects citizens’ sense of security and well-being and increases the costs and risks of business activity.

It is follows follow , that deal with crime require an effective police service – comprise of competent , honest , well – resource ( train ) man and woman whose execution of their duty is not inhibit by some outside force / influence .

That is is is why we advance the view that the effectiveness of the Police Force , its operation , strategy should be determine and assess by a genuinely independent PSC , not a body made up of person name by the government of the day .

sadly , as it is , the PSC has no control over the strategic objective of the police service ; it does not have the authority to monitor the operation of the police force as a whole ; it is not empower to oversee the recruitment pool of candidate for the position of Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Police .

The PSC does not decide the criteria for recruitment of the Commissioner, does not select the Commissioner, cannot monitor the performance of the police service, cannot independently verify whatever it is told by the Commissioner.  

Simply put, it has no power to investigate anything and whatever it can do must be done in accordance with standards set by the police force, over which it is deemed to have some oversight.  Dog and its tail??? 

It follows, given all the absurdities, that the PSC and the Police Force are ineffective in the face of an escalating crime situation in this country.

That there have been efforts made at reform of the Police Force we must acknowledge, but we must also admit that whatever might have been recommended have either not been enforced or enforced to a degree that did not test their appropriateness.

May be it is time that we consider reconstitute the PSC so that its membership is not determine only by the sit government : that it is empower to develop efficiency and accountability and promote high standard and transparency of the Police Force ; that it is assumes assume responsibility for the executive rank in the Police Force – Commissioner , Deputy Commissioner , etc . thereby remove Parliament and the Cabinet from the process of appointment of the Commissioner and Deputy .

Should the Prime Minister is have have a veto over these appointment ?   

What we are advancing is that the PSC must not be an arm of the government.

It must be allowed to oversee the human resource management of the Police Force, assess the competence of the Commissioner of Police and other top ranking officers to carry out their duties, based on strategic plans and objectives.

Our crime crisis will not be resolved by some ‘Lone Ranger’.  It will be resolved by an effective Police Force which is competently led and managed.

This, though, demands an independent PSC with strategic oversight, inclusive of being authorized to act swiftly with poor performance and misconduct within the executive and ranks of the RSVGPF.