00:00One former member of the Police Service Commission, Martin George, is optimistic
00:05about Keith Scottland's recent appointment to the National Security
00:09Ministry. It's quite a heavy portfolio that is being put there for him and of
00:15course the expectations will be very high on him in terms of some sort of
00:21change or turnaround so because people have been clamouring and I mean I think
00:26the record is there, speaks for itself as to what has been happening with the
00:31Ministry of National Security and in terms of you know the current state of
00:36lawlessness in the country so with Mr. Scottland's appointment of course people are
00:41expecting that some change will come about. As a matter of fact he says the
00:47new minister has been proactive at least as it relates to Tobago. Mr. Scottland
00:52did actually reach out to me yesterday you know and we had quite a long
00:57discussion because he says he's particularly concerned about Tobago and
01:02the crime situation in Tobago and he said he intends to have a meeting with
01:07stakeholders in Tobago he wants to come across because he's trying to see how he
01:13can help to bring Tobago back to make it the safe serene sanctuary it once was.
01:22He believes the initiative demonstrated by Scottland's recent visit to sea lots
01:26will go a long way in restoring public trust and there is someone who can learn
01:32from his example. The Commissioner has to get on board with that type of initiative you know you can't keep
01:38sitting in your ivory tower and you know making edicts and pronouncements from
01:42on high you know you have to do things you know the Commissioner could have
01:47actually you know gained so many points by PR if she had intervened and said look
01:55that situation with that maxi driver where he was arrested that look having
02:00reviewed it they have decided they are not pursuing it because let me tell you
02:03the public is outraged because let me tell you you have murders you know home
02:08invasion, rapes, robberies occurring on a daily basis but yet still you have
02:13resources to send down police officers to go and look for this maxi driver
02:18arrest him because he failed to assist. After spending nine years on the Police
02:24Service Commission George believes the culture of the Police Service needs to
02:29be shaken up. Years ago we used to have undercover police officers who would go out
02:35you know go out in disguise they would go undercover they will dress as ordinary
02:39citizens they would gather information now everybody is sitting in a nice air
02:43conditioned station with cable TV and order and KFC and you know Pizza Hut you
02:49know and they just they just relax in if you understand me and then you know when
02:53you call in about a you know an issue they're telling you well look you can't come down to the station and make the report we can't come out to you.
03:01And another body needs to be a bit more active the attorney is advocating. Where
03:06is the Police Service Commission you know you hear nothing from them in all
03:12of this I mean it's like they remain numb and dumb in the circumstances right
03:18you have politicians pronouncing on the performance of the Commissioner of Police
03:23and saying well you know she has performed well and therefore that's why
03:27they have renewed her contract and you hear nothing from the Police Service
03:31Commission the body that is constitutionally charged with assessing
03:36the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners of Police I mean it's it's
03:40absurd. Arvishi Tamari, Rupnirain TV6 News
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