The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

POLICE Commissioner Ellison Greenslade’s plan to give hundreds of police officers time off instead of overtime pay is impractical and will threaten public safety, attorney Wayne Munroe, QC, said during a Police Staff Association (PSA) press conference yesterday.

The Tribune reported on Wednesday that the commissioner has decided to give officers time back as compensation for the controversial 12-hour shifts they worked at separate periods in 2013 and 2014.

Although the PSA pressed for compensation for the additional hours worked, Mr Greenslade said at the time that this was a “moot” point. However, the Court of Appeal later upheld a Supreme Court order mandating that the government offer compensation to the officers.

A letter obtained by The Tribune dated August 17 and written by David Higgins, director of legal affairs in the Office of the Attorney General, said: “The commissioner has instructed our office that his team is in the process of working through the duty sheets submitted by various officers-in-charge, and as soon as they are completed, the officers will be notified accordingly.

“Further, provisions will be made for officers who are entitled, who have either resigned, or their contract of employment have ended or have died during the relative period for monetary payment to be made to them or their estate.”

The PSA yesterday said it is not ready to accept the commissioner’s decision and the organisation lamented the lack of consultation between the group and senior national security figures on the matter.

It is not clear how the force will determine how much time officers should receive for every 12-hour shift they worked. The Supreme Court ordered, however, that the compensation be received within a year.

PSA Chairman Dwight Smith said yesterday that at the very least, this means more than 2,000 officers will be entitled to three months and two days off.

Mr Munroe said this is impractical.

“I don’t see how the country is going to be able to afford giving time back to all the police officers who are due them because everyone worked the 12-hour shifts, people who aren’t even in the group that I represent, ASPs (assistant superintendents) worked 12-hour shifts, even superintendents did and assistant commissioners of police. Every conceivable rank is caught by this. We need to take a very focused look at this because it is a public safety issue, not just a money issue.

“All Bahamians would have some idea that police vacation will be stopped in the run-up to Christmas until after Christmas. We’ve all heard a very aggressive plan for events next year from the Minister of Sports Danny Johnson. I think we’re having a FIFA event, next year we will be having a general election; will be having Junkanoo Carnival again; Junkanoo in June, a Goombay festival. All of these events require policing so when will all the police officers be able to take the time off.”

He added: “I’m not sure that a proper view was taken as to the level of manpower that would be available if it’s decided to give time back instead of payment. The PSA realises it’s not the Commissioner of Police but certainly it would make sense to speak with the staff association about something like this. If it’s that you cannot spare the manpower which may turn out to be the circumstance here because all this time back has to be given within the calendar year, then you should talk with the association. It’s not an unusual thing.

“We’ve seen public service arrangements where an amount is agreed and is paid over a number of lump sums. Nothing from my vantage point tells me that the PSA is seeking to be obstructionist or unreasonable in its approach to resolving this matter. They don’t want anything that would threaten the security of the Bahamas and I would think courtesy would have been to sit down with them.”

Mr Munroe and Mr Smith argued that direct payments to officers would be cheaper for the government than time off, since the option would exist to pay the officers at the public service overtime rate.

Mr Munroe said the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal urged the government to work with the PSA to come to a resolution on this issue.

Despite this, there has been no consultation he said, raising the possibility that the parties could head back to court to determine if the government has complied with the court’s order.