Minister of Home Affairs, Ronald Gajraj, says the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) needs to deal with public complaints in a more proactive manner, although he admits that the Act does make certain provisions with no mechanisms to effect them.
Gajraj, speaking on behalf of the government, told the Disciplined Forces Commission that the Police Complaints Authority Act was hurriedly put together in 1989 and although he has asked for a review of the legislation, nothing has been done.
"I made available to the chairman (Cecil Kennard) a copy of our Act and the Jamaican Act and asked him to go through both Acts and come up with recommendations to have a more effective and proactive body to deal with complaints; but to date I have not had a report," he said at the hearing.
Section 14 of the PCA Act says the authority shall supervise the investigation of every complaint or information relative to unlawful police killings and other specified offences.
But Kennard told the commission, during his testimony, that when investigations are ordered all he ever sees are the completed reports upon which he makes his recommendations. And this is only if the PCA is even consulted.
Gajraj said Section 15 of the Act makes provision for the chairman to pronounce upon the quality of the investigations. Certificates are issued with the chairman's comments, which, according to those Gajraj has received, are favourable.
And while many concerns about policemen investigating their fellow policemen have surfaced before the commission, Gajraj considered it practical. He said policemen are trained to do the job and making use of their skills would not incur an additional cost.