00:00A seamless continuation, free from controversy.
00:05That's how the extension of the contract of Early Harewood Christopher is being viewed
00:09by Police Service, Social and Welfare Association President Gideon Dixon.
00:14So we want to congratulate Ms. Christopher and as an association we want to put on the public record
00:22that we will continue to show support to the Office of the Commissioner of Police.
00:28According to Dixon, under the watch of Harewood Christopher,
00:31attempts have been made to rid the streets of illegal firearms
00:35and increase the detection rate of the police, which she admits could be better.
00:39But Dixon also believes that the top cop should be commended for measures in relation to patrolling
00:45in a bid to help communities feel safer.
00:48As for the homicide rate...
00:51It would show that the rate of homicide is less than it was a year ago,
00:58and even less than it was two years ago.
01:02So if we are to use that data to guide a decision,
01:07you would see that the incumbent, and by extension our executive and those who are in the operations,
01:14are doing a better job than the previous years.
01:18There is significant room for improvement.
01:21The association president calls the job of the top cop one of the more difficult ones in the country,
01:26and he says stakeholder accountability is needed to ensure the safety of the country.
01:31Particularly our criminal justice system, because too many times we are finding that
01:38those who have been breaking the law are going into the criminal justice system
01:44and revolving and coming back out and just causing more and more distress to law-abiding citizens.
01:49Something needs to be done.
01:51The TTPSSWA president tells us guns passing through the borders of the country is a major part of the problem,
01:58and for that, he says, the police commissioner is not the one to hold to account.
02:03We must call on these entities, and that is both the customs and the Coast Guard and even immigration,
02:12to account for their tenure.
02:16According to Dixon, people should also hold themselves to account as parents, educators,
02:22and other facets of the community that are responsible for shaping young lives.
02:27Questioned about the views among the TTPSSWA's members in relation to the leadership of Herewood Christopher,
02:34Dixon states that views will vary, and so too will styles of leadership.
02:39Is it that the person who speaks the loudest and appears to be Rambo or someone from the movies is in fact the strongest?
02:52Is that how we measure it?
02:55The TTPSSWA president states that leadership should be measured by statistics.
03:01Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
