The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

SENATOR Michael Pintard yesterday labelled Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade’s reported decision to transfer members of the Police Staff Association to other areas a “huge, ill-advised, miscalculation”.

He said this gives the impression that Mr Greenslade is “seeking to silence persons who are asking legitimate questions about the working conditions of officers.”

Mr Pintard indicated that in addition to “grounding the force’s morale,” the decision unintentionally gives the impression that Commissioner Greenslade is being used as a political tool by Ministry of National Security officials.

Mr Pintard said: “No minister, whether it’s the national security minister, the state minister for national security, no minister should be able to usurp the authority of the commissioner of police.”

“This gives the impression that (Commissioner Greenslade) is being used as a tool of the government given that the Minister of State (Keith Bell) on more than one occasion has targeted the PSA in general, and the PSA’s (chairman) in particular.”

According to published reports, PSA Chairman Dwight Smith said Commissioner Greenslade last week reassigned a number of PSA members to other sections of the force “because crime was up” and he needed to move the officers where crime was.

However, Mr Pintard said officers are now questioning if the commissioner is being forced to accept and translate directives handed down by government officials.

Mr Pintard added that the commissioner and members of his management team should be given a degree of autonomy to properly administer law and order in the country.

Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that the government should pay overtime to police officers who worked a 12-hour shift in late 2013 or give them the equivalent time in days off.

State Minister for National Security Keith Bell, once a police officer, called that Supreme Court ruling a “hollow judgment”, adding that the government intends to appeal the decision.

Earlier this year, Mr Bell also accused the PSA of being a “political tool.”

Last year, Commissioner Greenslade said that he reserves the right to enact the 12-hour shift system at his discretion and that compensation for officers is a “moot point”.