Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security St. Clair Leacock says reorientation is imperative if the local constabulary is to be depoliticised.
Speaking recently on the state-owned NBC Radio, Leacock, a former commandant of the St. Vincent Cadet Force, and who is in his second month as national security minister, said he had been trained for the ministerial portfolio, and he is doing his examinations, triangulating, as his “ears are on the ground”.
Leacock’s comments were made against the backdrop of concerns over the serious crimes, particularly murders, and calls from some members of the public and supporters of the ruling New Democratic Party (NDP) to make changes in the hierarchy of the police force.
The calls followed the November general elections which saw the NDP handing the Unity Labour Party (ULP) a whopping 14-1 defeat.
The ULP leader, Ralph Gonsalves, who served as Prime Minister from 2001 to 2025, was the lone candidate to win a seat for the party.
“I’m a behavioural scientist. I’m a management specialist. I’ve worn the uniforms, and I can pick sense out of nonsense, and I know to turn the police force around, we have to have a team at the top,” Leacock said.
Leacock said he was taking his time in addressing the crime and violence situation and issues within the constabulary.
The minister said he had been given” all kinds of advice “as to who should be Commissioner of Police, who should be acting commissioner, who should be deputy and all those kinds of things”, but from his knowledge, training and experience, he knows one can’t make certain changes in 12 or 24 months.
“The police force and the leadership of the force are themselves victims of the political culture. When they all get up there, or getting to the top, we have all man for himself,” Leacock said.
“… people feel that they are obliged not to apply proper police protocols, but to respond to political directives, so we can’t say the politician not to blame to where we are”.
Leacock said that to change things and make the police force a better, more effective organisation “with the right men for the job” requires time and a plan.
“So, we have to begin to see how we can build different police forces, how we can have enlisted policemen, and how we could have people who join the police force, who intend to be officers and go through a different regime of training, leadership, management and specialised training to be directing our police forces,” he said.
Leacock said a former police commissioner used to say the police force reflects the community.
Major i respect you as a military man , I also know that you may have a weakness for Buju Trevor Bailey, however, your sympathy and weakness for for Buju Trevor Bailey ‘ sister should not be one of them to make him Commissioner of Police. The public will be unforgiving if you compromise you standards and gave the position to Buju Trevor Bailey.
Although, the present Commissioner and Buju Bailey represent a sorry full past. The present Commissioner is a superior candidate from all respect even having the right educational fit. The same cannot be said of Trevor Buju Bailey.