I have been wondering what makes words and ideas more believable, more acceptable to an audience. I am sure that communication professionals, behavioural scientists and indeed leaders of social change are constantly seeking out the ingredients for this and when/if they do find it we may well be on our way to changing the world. But in the meantime I find myself reflecting on the utterances of the Police Commissioner and comparing them with the words of the former Minister of National Security, Martin Joseph. During his entire tenure, Joseph spoke of the transformation of the Police Service as being the foundation of any improvement in policing in T&T.
Homicides were the barometer of how well a police service was performing and, with the now infamous Mastrofski Plan, he moved to improve the structures and systems within the service to do just that. It was under his watch that the police training curriculum was revamped and it is this curriculum that is in place and being used at the Police Training Academy. He also spoke about rooting out the bad cops who were like the proverbial rotten apple in the barrel and he argued for a reformed Police Service Commission that would, among other things, address the concerns of the public about corrupt police officers. However, many times when he spoke, Joseph was roundly booed and ridiculed by a society that was fed up with talk and wanted action on crime. But now it's a new voice saying these things. Dwayne Gibbs, the new Commissioner of Police, says that the transformation of the Police Service is one of their goals, since police officers would be able to effectively and professionally serve the public.
Gibbs also talks about "21st century policing" and says it will allow police to be more responsive and more effective and provide a greater reduction in crime. He even cited a 30 per cent decrease in murders for the month of December alone. If it were Martin Joseph making such a statement he would have been crucified like an Easter bobolee but such is the small-mindedness and short memory of Trinidadians and Tobagonians. I hold no brief of Martin Joseph, who never bothered to build the kind of relationships with the media or citizenry alike to help his cause. But whenever I listen to Gibbs and the current Minister of National Security, John Sandy, I recall that I have heard these very words and ideas before. We did not pay these words much heed then, but it seems that the vision for the Police Service which was enunciated then is still as credible and relevant today.
Helen May
Via e-mail