Commissioner of Police knocks rogue cops

Commissioner of Police Keith Miller has refused to sweep the wrongs of police officers under the carpet – promising that he will not allow defaulters to give the Police Force a bad name.{{more}}

Poor response to reports from the public, tardiness and unprofessionalism by some members of his constabulary were reasons cited by Miller on Friday, September 10, as the cause of his disgust.

“I know that there are policemen and women who will not want me to interface and give the public this type of information. Now when you are wrong, you are wrong. We cannot hide our wrongs under the carpet.

“It is better for us to face and deal with our wrongs head on and correct them so that we will be better policemen and women tomorrow,” said Miller to the media as he called a short press conference at the Ministry of Agriculture Conference Room to address matters of national security. Earlier that morning he attended a meeting with the new rural constables and officers of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Without any apologies, Miller said: “It bothers me when we operate in a tardy way, when we operate in an unprofessional way and when members of the public are not really getting the service that they are paying us to do.”

His frank response comes against the backdrop of complaints made to him personally and via the radio stations by members of the public.

The COP said in some instances some police officers take days to respond to complaints even though they are trained to do so immediately. As a result of this, he personally appealed to the public to contact him when they encounter problems as those mentioned.

“I want members of the public to call me. It will be easier if persons get me through Police Control because Police Control will be able to get me wherever I am at any time.

“When members of the public are making reports to the police stations and they are dissatisfied with our response time do not hesitate. Call me immediately so that I can have these members get up and go and do the job that they are employed to do and what they are paid for,” said Miller.

He said it is “very disheartening” to hear that members of the Police Force are sitting in the police stations and are not responding to people’s complaints immediately.

“As commissioner, I will not sit here and allow no defaulter, no bad policeman or woman to give the Police Force a bad name,” said Miller, as he encouraged the public to contact him, other senior members of the Police Force or 911 where operators are stationed 24 hours of the day.

“Let them know that you have made a report ten minutes ago; you are living three hundred yards away as the case may be and the police there did not turn up. Let us know that. That is of very serious concern to me and those lazy policemen must get up and work,” said Miller.

He said there are also instances where police officers at police stations respond to the public by telling them that they do not have vehicles.

“It is true that a vehicle may not be available at that point in time, but we have a system in the Police Force that we call a relay system or networking. In that, Calliaqua Police vehicle for example may be out on duty, they may be going to a critical call but yet you can call Mespo, call Kingstown for assistance so that another vehicle can be deployed,” said Miller, adding that it is not the public’s business that a vehicle is unable to be deployed.

“What I’ve noticed again is that we have too much policemen who just want to ride; they don’t want to walk. So they have to get out of the stations and walk to people’s reports,” said Miller.

He said responsibility is a task by itself. On this note he said there are NCOs at the stations who may become too complacent.

Miller noted that every member of the public should be treated as a family member.

“We always say to members put yourself in the reporters place. Put a family member in the reporters place. It may not be you getting that call: let us say another policeman has to deal with a family member of yours, how would you like it if that policeman does not respond to your family member instantly,” said Miller.

The COP used the opportunity to appeal to members of the constabulary to lift their standard and make professionalism their hallmark. He also called on the public to continue to cooperate with the public.