In the next few weeks, I will spend some time trying to shed some light on what I consider to be some fundamental flaws within the Police Force during my over fifteen years of service within the organization. They are too many to be done in one article therefore I will attempt to reveal them over time.
In recent weeks I have seen on Facebook a number of videos which depicts what can be termed as Police brutality against civilians, I’ve even seen one such video where Police Officers got into a physical altercation with each other on the sentry post of the Central Police Station. I’ve heard the outcry of persons via the various radio programs and I’ve read the outcry through Facebook comments and posts. While I do agree with most of the comments and I do agree that something needs to be done the question that needs to be first answered is where do we start?
A few years ago, past Commissioner of Police Mr. Randolph Toussaint made a statement which rattled the conscience of our society and it is even more valid today, when asked about the actions of some Police officers back then he simply reminded the public that the Police Officers within the rank and file of the Police Force derived from within the very society. While I somewhat do agree with the statement, I can equally say that society produces both the good and bad, therefore there must be another contributing factor.
No one goes to the market and knowingly select bad tomatoes to take home and even if they unknowingly picked a bad one, upon realizing that this tomato is no good they throw it out. I use that scenario as a means of simplifying the following point. Some of the problems that are facing The Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force currently is because the recruitment process, the selection process and the vetting process is fundamentally flawed and in a lot of cases is being used and manipulated by Politicians and Senior Officials.
The Human Resources Department should be responsible for the selection of candidates to go through what should be a lengthy process from application stage to training school, however I am very much aware of persons who moved from application stage to training school within a matter of weeks. The H.R Department is constantly being usurped by the Politicians and senior Officers who wants, a child, a child of a friend, a relative or a constituent to gain enlistment within the Organization so just like every other Government department the Police Force has now been reduced to ” Giving somebody a WUK”.
Phase two of this process should be the vetting of applicants and this is where the Special Branch Department of the Police Force should use their multiplicity of resources to help to identify undesirables from among the applicants but unfortunately just like any other institution this department has become so politically corrupt that now it seems as though they are an arm of the Unity Labour party. Can you imagine applying for a job and the most interesting thing to the vetting team is which political party you support, so much so that they spend more time going through your social media pages not looking for clues as to your character but rather your politics. The Special Branch Department is more preoccupied with their political mandate than to vet thoroughly applicants therefore even from the start they have already let the mongoose into the hen house. Can you imagine a Police Force where new applicants have joined with multiple convictions? Don’t worry you don’t have to stretch your imagination too far!!
For any structure to stand strong their foundation must be firm, solid, rooted and grounded. We cannot have a good and decent Police Force if from the recruitment and selection process it is already faulty. There must be another way, there must be a better way and it must start with Politicians taking their hands and mouth out of the Police Force and allow the Human Resources professionals to do their job by selecting the best and fittest candidates to serve our nation. To continue on this part will be more of the state and unfortunately may get worse.
Ex-Officer!!
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