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Police Minister Singh Says Police Department Plagued By Corruption
posted (July 7, 2010)
Minister of Police and Public Safety Doug Singh took up his office on June third amidst tremendous public expectation. But the first blush of hype and hope has worn off and a crime - battered public wants results - they want to feel safer.

But there's no magic wand for a crime culture whose roots run deep into our everyday existence Additionally, fixing a department staffed with 1,200 cops is no small task.

Today, we spoke at length to the police minister about the daunting tasks. We'll present his interview in two parts. In the first part tonight, he discusses the department's culture of corruption.

Hon. Doug Singh, Minister of Police
"I think the primary, if I can identify a primary problem is a problem of confidence and a problem of trust between the public and the police department and I start there, it may look like a little issue but it's a tremendous issue because everything leads to that, or that loss of confidence is as a result of a lot of malfunctionz throughout the system. There are several reasons for that loss of confidence: corruption within the department. If we are unable to do something about that I think we will never be able to get the public confidence to a certain level."

Jules Vasquez
"Everybody in the police department knows that they are politically connected people who are untouchable who can't be searched, who can't be stopped, who can't be detained, who can't be held and if they are, you will get a call from 'minister.'"

Hon. Doug Singh
"I think that to a certain extent that since I've been the minister, I've not issued any calls to stop anybody from being arrested and I've not been asked to refrain from taking actions."

Jules Vasquez
"And if you were asked?"

Hon. Doug Singh
"If I was asked, I will seriously have to question the direction. First of all, you give me the evidence that that person shouldn't be, if there is plausible enough evidence that they should be, you ought to do it. Nobody should be exempt from it. Absolutely no one should be exempt from it."

Jules Vasquez
"However you the responsible minister may not make the call, there is an entire political directorate, that any minister can call and ask a police man or officer."

Hon. Doug Singh
"I personally believe that we need to enact certain pieces of legislations that hold politicians liable or anyone liable for interfering with the legal process, that if there is any evidence that you have interfered with the arrest of an individual or due process, that the police department exercise, that you, your name gets entered into a record and that charges can be laid against you. I believe that that is necessary and I believe that then police will have the confidence to execute their task without feeling the political pressures to bear. It must become necessary at some point in time."

Jules Vasquez
"Minister, you are the chairman of a mass party. I want to say you can't really know how politics works."

Hon. Doug Singh
"No, but I have to wear the hat in this particular role. If I am serious about it, It didn't take the job as the minister of police because I am the chairman of a mass party and because I am just being put there as a yes man. If that was the situation my answer would have been no. The Prime Minister gave me his reasons why he made the selection or why he believes that I am capable of doing it. And if I do anything other than what his expectations are I have disappointed him and I have disappointed an entire country. Now what do I want to be remembered for ultimately, to be a very good chairman of a political party or a very effective minister of police? I think the answer is clear on that one. There is a very big difference that you can make in people's life and in the country's life."

Jules Vasquez
"Good officers, committed officers feel that: A: There work is undervalued or not respected. B: The system it doesn't care for them, they don't receive their allowances for when they are transferred. Their uniform allowances for those who have to wear plain clothes. They don't have any type of insurance. They are treated like security guards but expected to uphold the security of an entire state. "

Hon. Doug Singh
"And they are correct, in some instances they are correct. Let me give you an example; the officer that was shot yesterday morning I believe it was, the robbery at the store on Water Lane. That officer is in the hospital, there is a fund, a welfare fund for officers that can be dip into for officers that end up in circumstances like that. Our public system ought to be more supportive. Police officers need to have a greater sense of security to know that if they are going to put their lives on the line that there is a support system that will help them there."

"But I think beyond that we are talking about everyday living, I don't believe officers are compensated as well as they should be compensated, having said that though I don't think we get as much out of many police officers as we should. I think we must get to the situation or to the place where police officers feel that they can make a difference. I think to a certain extent some of them absolutely don't feel that. We must get to that place, and we are not going to get by shouting and threatening, that's not going to happen. We need to show that we are giving them some of the support system they need as much as the expectation from them."

"There are simple things; if you ever been to the Queen Street police station and walk into that yard it looks like a garbage pile, it's nasty; there are wrecked vehicles all over the place, some of them have been sitting there for 3-4 years. They don't have to be there, we need to find an appropriate way to remove that stuff to improve the facility. I look at senior police officers with their guts hanging out and I say that literally, out of shape, overweight, they inspire nobody. I think that's a problem in the BDF too, they inspire no one. They need to have a sense of discipline and practice that sense of discipline. We need to get a proper police gym and hold them accountable for their performance in particular the senior people who look like they have no discipline on how they consume food or personal attire. I think these are things, if they don't feel that way about themselves, then how can they expect anybody to feel that way about them? And it starts there."

Jules Vasquez
"Indeed it does start there but from my experience with officers at the middle level or lower level constables. It seems that there is a cancer at the core; I've seen that compound cleaned up before. Jorge Espat cleaned that up in the late 90's. I'm saying that the cancer....those are outward manifestations, but those are symptoms of a deeper problem."

Hon. Doug Singh
"Agreed, but if you don't deal with the symptoms along with addressing the problem, you are not going to go anywhere because some of it is going to return. In other words how you deal with a problem and I know you don't mean the storage of the vehicle I know you mean a whole internal attitude with respect with how the police operates."

In the next part of that interview which airs tomorrow, we'll ask Singh about the future of police commissioner Crispin Jeffries and the issue of public safety as well as rogue police activity...

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