And as he alluded to - the police ministry is a tough job. It has confounded former star-ministers such as Dean Barrow, Jorge Espat, Ralph Fonseca and Doug Singh - whose tenures didn't make much of a dent in reducing major crimes. But, Aragon has one advantage over all those guys; he's a former career police officer, one who earned a master's degree in criminology from the University of Leicester in the UK. We asked him what's his plans and his fears:...
Jules Vasquez, 7News
"What are your hopes, expectations and apprehensions as you take over this portfolio?"
Hon. Elodio Aragon, Minister of State - Home Affairs
"No matter where you go this portfolio of the police is always a contentious portfolio, because it has lot of challenges."
"I will tell you that through my experience i have the knowledge, the expertise in terms of understanding exactly what takes place in the police department you know, understand the police culture, understand the kinda things that our police officer have to deal with, to put up with on a day to day basis. Ensuring that we hold our police officers, our senior officers accountable, so that we can get the job done together."
Jules Vasquez, 7News
"How do you stay away from micromanaging, because you have such an intimate sense and feel of how the police department operates and doing what you should do which is being in charge police to steer and direct the department in the right direction?"
Hon. Elodio Aragon, Minister of State - Home Affairs
"Well, Like I mentioned earlier, I am not here to do the commissioner's job, I am not here to do the senior officer's job, that is their role and function. I am looking at the policy direction of this department, holding our people accountable to ensure that we get the work done. And a lot of this has to be organized, has to be planned out you know if we are going to make a difference in this country, it will not come about by luck or providence, it has to come about by us implementing new strategies, looking at what the situation is, and addressing them as best as possible."
Aragon becomes the second former cop to become police minister. Former Commissioner, Maxwell Samuels was the first.
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