WE CONGRATULATE those who have been singled out for honours in this year’s national awards list. While this country and its citizens face many pressing challenges, these awards remain important marks of distinction. They provide an opportunity for the nation to reflect on the excellence and achievements of a wide range of individuals in almost every sphere. The trio of individuals singled out by the National Awards Committee for the highest honour, the Order of the Republic of TT, come from the fields of business, education and law.
Of particular interest, however, is the bestowing of high honours to people who have served in the police service.
Two individuals who acted in the position of commissioner of police – Stephen Williams (2012-2018) and James Philbert (2007-2010) – and former assistant commissioner of police Joanne James have been singled out for contributions in national security and public service. They have been awarded the Chaconia Medal Silver.
While in recent decades the practice of giving such senior police officials awards has not been as frequent, it is not entirely unprecedented.
In 1971, commissioner of police Francis Eustace Bernard was awarded the Public Service Medal of Merit Gold, while in 1969 commissioner of police James P Reid was awarded the same honour. That year, Randolph Burroughs, then assistant commissioner of police, also received the same award for police duty. Burroughs would later receive the Trinity Cross in 1980 once he became commissioner of police, a role that made him infamous. The entire police service itself, in the wake of the 1990 insurrection, received the Trinity Cross.
Of course, far more frequent is for officers to be singled out for acts of gallantry, sometimes posthumously.
Unsurprisingly, senior officers have not featured more on awards lists when we consider the worsening problem of crime.
Additionally, while national awards are not meant to be political cabinets may not wish to be perceived as singling out police leadership as a reward. (This year’s awardees have been given some of the highest accolades to any officers in history.)
However, with oversight of police performance ensnared in convoluted processes, honouring deserving officials can arguably assist in motivating cops. For this reason, few may wish officers to receive awards ex-officio or by dint of holding office, which is not the practice, even if this may be a way to remove the perception of patronage.
All of this suggests that, much like the issue of how “silk” or senior counsel status is awarded to lawyers, there is room for greater transparency in the handing down of awards so that they align not only with values and achievements but also development goals, both inside and outside of policing.
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