Should a Commissioner of Police be chosen purely on his ability to physically capture a felon, shoot straight and be willing to work 24/7 in all weathers, trail through marijuana bushes, crawl under dilapidated and infested houses and still come up smiling? Should he be more brawn than brain?
With the worrying state of our crime statistics we need to quickly decide on the ideal qualifications. What cannot be ignored is the fact that willingness to serve must match aptitude with new technology and the ability to communicate intelligently.
Say what you will, five passes at basic level subjects will not suffice. A CoP must be able to function at various operational levels. Proficiency with a gun and success with numerous arrests can never be enough in a modern day police service. Education to BA level should be mandatory and a qualification in basic law would be an asset.Candidates should have completed a minimum of ten years' service and have proven ability in interacting well with other officers and members of the public.
Thirty years in the trenches of the police service is no longer an ideal qualification in a modern society. Each candidate should be Internet savvy and should face rigorous psychological/psychiatric testing to be proven as able to cope with levels of stress.It is obvious that a Commissioner of Police must ideally be chosen from the senior ranks. Should we insist that officers must pre-qualify and have attained minimum senior inspector/assistant superintendent status?
And importantly, the officer chosen must be capable of and be seen to function within the framework of and all manifestations of the word "independent."
Lynette Joseph
via e-mail