Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Slowe thinks that several key posts in the police force should be cut as they are serving no useful purpose.

He named the posts of Deputy Superintendent, Chief Inspector, Station Sergeant and Lance Corporal.

“Because of the many levels in the organisation it leads to difficulties in the transmission of information between the senior and lower levels and it results in a lot of delays, Slowe told the Disciplined Forces Commission on Wednesday.

Slowe, who is also the Commander of `B’ Division, was at the time testifying in his personal capacity before the Commission, which was set up to review the organisation and the operations of the disciplined forces.

Slowe told the Commission that the designations were “handshake” posts traditionally created for low- level ranks - usually on the verge of retirement - as a promotion and salary opportunity for their long service.

In the case of younger ranks, he said it succeeded in reducing the number of policemen at the ground level from everyday duties, while he also considered that this added to bureaucracy in the police force.

“What we are doing is moving the qualified junior people away from the front line, dealing with members of the public. The system rewards him with a lance corporal and it is my opinion that this has led to many of the difficulties.”

Instead of creating more bureaucracy in the force, Slowe said all levels of the force should attract assessed incremental increases.

The Police Complaints Authority

Slowe said as in Jamaica there was a public perception that policemen should not be investigating their own. To solve this problem, Jamaica had modified its legislation to give the Police Complaints Authority the power to do its own investigations and make recommendations.

“I believe we have to move along this line if we are to get the confidence of members of the public that a proper investigation will be done.”

He supports this because there are occasions when proper investigations are not done, while among policemen, the belief is harboured that they will be given special favours by their colleagues.

However, serious allegations, Slowe believes, should be investigated by an independent panel made up of representatives from the police force, the Guyana Bar Association, the Guyana Human Rights Association and perhaps the Director of Public Prosecutions, satisfying calls for impartiality.

Firearm Policy

He said civilians who applied for guns ought to be properly trained in the use of the weapon and more importantly, under what circumstances they could be used. The training now, he said, was perfunctory and totalled nothing more than an hour in some cases.

He recommended too that a person’s competence and need should determine the calibre of the weapon he was allowed, especially in view of the present system which he described as unscientific.

Recruitment and Training

Recruits have to pass a basic test to enter the force without any other qualifications. The required pass mark was 50-55% but Slowe said this was lowered to 45% without any adjustment to the examination itself. He said in the force hierarchy the word `unmamboable’ had been coined to describe such recruits.

He recommended a review of wages and allowances to attract more qualified people to the force.

He said recently Trinidad and Tobago’s acting Commissioner of Police said he was going to approach his government to move the requirements for qualifications from not less than three CXC subjects to not less than five.

But Slowe, who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Management, said he was “horrified to learn” that a policeman here was paid an extra $50 a month for every CXC pass he possessed and there was a proviso that no matter the qualifications the sum could not exceed $200.

“If you want to attract qualified persons and you can’t increase the salary then increase the additional allowances.”

He said this would not place any added financial burdens on the force but might attract more qualified persons and even encourage members of the force to get themselves qualified.

He also suggested that this was of concern in view of the attrition rate among officers and the absence of qualified persons among the lower ranks to fill their places.

In addition, Slowe said since 1991 a decision had been taken to decentralise recruitment, and training was done in places like Berbice to attract people from the area.

He observed that while the theory was that the best people to police a community were people from within, in practice this was not so and he found it very counterproductive. Policemen with familial or other ties to certain areas have proved incapable of performing their jobs professionally.

Justice of Appeal Ian Chang chairs the Commission which also includes former Attorney-General Charles Ramson, SC; former National Security Advisor Brigadier (rtd) David Granger; attorney Anil Nandlall; and Irish human-rights activist Maggie Beirne.

A report of the commission’s findings and recommendations for the police force will be presented to the National Assembly by mid-November.