MEMBERS of a joint select committee on crime on Wednesday expressed their disappointment that newly appointed Police Commissioner Erla Christopher was not at its meeting, after confirming she would be attending during the period when she acted in the top cop post.
Before the committee heard from acting DCP Curt Simon (Intelligence and Investigations), ACP Criminal Division Winston Maharaj and Snr Supt Kerwin Francis (in charge of the Northern Division), both the chair of the JSC Keith Scotland and member Jayanti Lutchmedial chastised the commissioner for her non-appearance.
Scotland, who indicated that a matter of “urgent national security” caused Christopher’s absence, said it was only on Tuesday she said she would be unable to appear, after saying she would attend while she was acting in the position.
“We can’t understate the crucial significance (of her appearance) at the next hearing, not just for the committee but the country” Scotland told the three men.
He later said the JSC will meet again on February 27 and Christopher was expected to attend.
Lutchmedial said Christopher had acted in the position long enough and had been a member of the police executive long enough to know the significance of a JSC.
She said the purpose of the JSC was to highlight the inner workings of the police service “at a time when we have a record-breaking murder rate” and reports of police paraphernalia or imitation paraphernalia as well as marked police ammunition found at crime scenes.
She added that on the heels of Christopher's unanimous selection, she was disappointed in her non-appearance, and the top cop “must bear in mind that the buck stops with the head of the organisation.”
At the end of the JSC hearing, the officers were reminded that on the next occasion the police commissioner is expected to be present and whoever accompanies her should have answers in writing on several matters.
These include: an update on the operationalising of pepper spray, Tasers and use-of-force policy; a report on the procurement of portable scanners, detailing when they arrived in the country, the cost of both purchase and maintenance, how long they were down for and how long they were in use before they stopped working; a policy on standardising and modernising police uniforms; what collaborative efforts there are between police and customs specifically to deal with guns entering through legal ports and what recommendations the police have to improve this relationship; the status of CCTV operated by the police; the total amount of money raised during the last two Carnivals and what the money is used for; and what legal advice the police received on using portable scanners.
The men, in answering questions posed by the committee members, said the police were operating with a new mandate, are using both technology and legislation to reduce crime and expect to see results this month and in future.
Maharaj said: “There will be some level of control, a downward trend, in the perpetration of crime in February and moving
