MEMBERS of a joint select committee on crime on Wednesday expressed their disappointment that newly appointed Police Commissioner Erla Christopher was not at its meeting, after confirming she would be attending during the period when she acted in the top cop post.
Before the committee heard from acting DCP Curt Simon (Intelligence and investigations), ACP criminal Division Winston Maharaj and Snr Supt Kerwin Francis in charge of the Northern Division, both the chair of the JSC Keith Scotland and member Jayanti Lutchmedial chastised the commissioner for her non-appearance.
Scotland, who indicated that a matter of “urgent national security” caused Christopher’s absence, said it was only on Tuesday she said she would be unable conveyed to appear after confirming her attendance while she was acting in the position.
“We can’t understate the crucial significance (of her appearance) at the next hearing, not just for the committee but the country” Scotland told the three men.
He later said the JSC will meet again on February 27 and Christopher was expected to attend.
Lutchmedial said Christopher had acted in the position long enough and had been a member of the police executive long enough to know the significance of a JSC.
She said the purpose of the JSC was to highlight the inner workings of the police service “at a time when we have a record-breaking murder rate” and reports of police paraphernalia or imitation paraphernalia as well as marked police ammunition found at crime scenes.
She added that on the heels of her unanimous selection, she was disappointed in Christopher’s non-appearance, and the top cop “must bear in mind that the buck stops with the head of the organisation.”
At the end of the JSC hearing, the officers were reminded that on the next occasion the police commissioner is expected to be present and whoever accompanies her should have answers in writing on several matters.
These include: an update on the operationalising of pepper spray, Tasers and use of force policy; a report on the procurement of the portable scanners, detailing when they arrived in the country, the cost of both purchase and maintenance, how long were they down for and how long were they in use before they stopped working; a policy on standardising and modernising police uniforms; what are collaborative efforts between police and customs specifically to deal with guns entering through legal ports and what recommendations the police have to improve this relationship; the status of CCTV operated by the police; the total amount of money raised during the last two Carnivals and what the money is used for; and what legal advice the police received on using portable scanners.
The men, in answering questions posed by the committee members, said the police were operating with a new mandate, are using both technology and legislation to reduce crime and expect to see results this month and in future.
Maharaj said: “There will be some level of control, a downward trend, in the perpetration of crime in February and moving forward. We are confident in the strategies in place – the old methods perhaps have outlived (their) usefulness – and we have a new paradigm, a new direction, and that is the direction that we are going in.”
Maharaj was responding to a question from Paul Richards who asked what strategies were in place to deal with murders, given that the Strategic Security Agency (SSA) said between 2019 and 2021 there was a 38 per cent reduction in the number of gangs and a 57 per cent decrease in gang members. Maharaj said some of the previous measures did not yield the results expected and the police are now re-strategising.
Addressing the issue of police officers at Carnival events and the perception that it was being used to fatten the pockets of police officers, Simon said the system came from an anecdotal calculation that has now been addressed with fete promoters. He added that the promoters were given a matrix of how the billing works and a policy document to direct them on how many officers are needed for events based on varying factors, including size, number of bars and other issues.
The document and matrix are being reviewed by the promoters, Newsday was told.
Simon said for Carnival officers will ensure blanket security throughout the country and for the first time, police officers are being called out this early to support the plan. He added that the police will be augmented by the Defence Force, traffic wardens and municipal police, and he is expecting a safe Carnival 2023, as each division’s command centre will be linked with a central command centre for rapid response to issues arising.
Addressing the concerns of police-issued ammunition found at crime scenes and police clothing and other paraphernalia found in the possession of criminals, Simon told the committee Christopher is concerned about this.
He said the police executive will be meeting with the private security firms, as they use similar paraphernalia, as the police seek legislative support to address the use of their clothing and tools by criminals. One of the ways to address it, he said, will be police uniforms fitted with radio frequency identification (RFID).
