The newly appointed chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Prof Ramesh Deosaran, in his first media briefing, demonstrated complete certainty and clarity as to the nature and scope of the job of the PSC.
In his words, "the Police Service Commission has as its primary responsibility the appointment, supervision, evaluation of the Police Commissioner and his deputy." He is also very clear as to what the job of the commissioner is, pointing out that under the Constitution the commissioner has been given "complete powers to manage the Police Service." The full statement in the Constitution is: "complete power to manage the Police Service and is required to ensure that the human, financial and material resources available to the service are used in an efficient and effective manner."
So, there are broad criteria already set in the Constitution for the evaluation of the commissioner, ie, efficiency and effectiveness. Quite correctly, these are the areas within which the PSC will spend most of its time under Deosaran. So there is certainty and almost complete clarity in these two areas-the job of the PSC and the job of the CoP. All well and good. On the other hand, however, it is clear that there is uncertainty and indeed a significant gap in legislative arrangements for the setting of public policy for the operation and management of the Police Service. Deosaran, aware of this major gap, was correctly circumspect when asked about the issue of ethnic balance in the Police Service. His guarded response was as follows:
"Ethnic or generally, the social composition of the Police Service in terms of making any reforms or trying to correct anything that might be perceived as wrong, I don't think that falls directly within the remit of the Police Service Commission. But given widespread concerns over the matter, what I would like to do is hold discussions with the Police Commissioner and then, together with my fellow commissioners, see how best we can go forward on settling the issue of what you call ethnic balance." At the moment, as the new chairman has correctly indicated, all the PSC can do on matters strictly not within its remit is to "hold discussions with the Police Commissioner" and then "see how best"to move forward.
In our situation at this time in our history, I submit that more definitive action is required. Some entity should be given a clear and certain mandate to enable it, as of right,to inquire into and to take appropriate action on any and all matters related to the operation and management of the Police Service. Issues that are being raised currently in relation to the past and present operations of the Police Service have potentially seriously damaging consequences for the safety and security of citizens.
Consequently, clear, definitive action by the Government is required in respect of the determination, implementation and evaluation of policing policy and operations in all its aspects. It cannot be left up to the Commissioner of Police alone or to fruitless debate in Parliament. Now that the PSC has a chairman with impeccable credentials and universal support, and one who intends to have the commission discharge its functions properly and legally, perhaps the Government and the Opposition can get together and widen the mandate of the PSC, by constitutional amendment, to include all matters related to the operation and management of the Police Service.
Ashton S Brereton
Champs Fleurs