Racial imbalance in the police service, in the public service and in state enterprises, has been a fact in T&T for a long time.
It has been the subject of state-sponsored studies, and all kinds of enquiries; the imbalance is neither the creation nor the imagination of Nizam Mohammed.
Mr Mohammed has given statistics which anyone can dispute; but it is hardly rational to charge him with racism. I therefore find myself not on the side of Mohammed's co-commissioners Martin George, Jacqueline Cheesman and Kenneth Parker.
The public must address the background against which Mohammed chose to talk race; that it is the public perception that his encounter with police officers Batson and Gittens has compromised his effectiveness as chair of the Police Service Commission; embarrassed CoP Dwayne Gibbs into "closing" the traffic offence matter while it is still wide open in the public's mind; initiated the campaign by Fixin' T&T for HIM to demit office, with arguments which are not without some merit.
The imbalance in the police service is a fact, as is the imbalance in the medical profession; Mohammed appears to have pulled rank on relatively junior police officers rather than maintain a discreet distance aimed at enhancing the quality of police service to the citizenry at large.
Regrettably, this grave distraction will not assist in the fight against crime; but I have the confidence that T&T will take this episode in its stride and move on after nine days, while the Partnership could be preparing for the tsunami.
Mr Mohammed has given statistics which anyone can dispute; but it is hardly rational to charge him with racism. I therefore find myself not on the side of Mohammed's co-commissioners Martin George, Jacqueline Cheesman and Kenneth Parker.
The public must address the background against which Mohammed chose to talk race; that it is the public perception that his encounter with police officers Batson and Gittens has compromised his effectiveness as chair of the Police Service Commission; embarrassed CoP Dwayne Gibbs into "closing" the traffic offence matter while it is still wide open in the public's mind; initiated the campaign by Fixin' T&T for HIM to demit office, with arguments which are not without some merit.
The imbalance in the police service is a fact, as is the imbalance in the medical profession; Mohammed appears to have pulled rank on relatively junior police officers rather than maintain a discreet distance aimed at enhancing the quality of police service to the citizenry at large.
Regrettably, this grave distraction will not assist in the fight against crime; but I have the confidence that T&T will take this episode in its stride and move on after nine days, while the Partnership could be preparing for the tsunami.
Mr Mohammed meanwhile should contemplate whether his position on the PSC is in the national interest.
Michael J Williams
via e-mail
Michael J Williams
via e-mail
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