By SEAN DOUGLAS Wednesday, November 11 2009

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PASTOR Clive Dottin,...

PASTOR Clive Dottin, member of the Police Service Commission (PSC), yesterday said he was upset that Cabinet has failed to decide whether or not to accept Pennsylvania State University (“Penn State”) to select a new Commissioner of Police (CoP).

Last year, Government chose James Philbert to act as CoP after rejecting Penn State’s choice, Senior Supt Stephen Williams. Philbert’s term as acting CoP ends next month.

Dottin said the CoP issue showed there was a crisis of leadership in the country. “I’m exceptionally disappointed. Given the current state of crime, the last process you would want to delay is the selection process to fill the post of Commissioner of Police. It’s a substantive post,” Dottin said.

“It’s disappointing and frustrating. It is highly possible we (PSC) could finish this term without accomplishing the selection process.” He said that at no other time before, had the selection of a CoP required as much speed and efficiency as the present. “It is not good for the person holding the office to have to act on six-month periods. This must be addressed expeditiously by Cabinet,” Dottin said. Dottin lamented that across the spectrum of the country, there are a number of posts in law enforcement which are unfilled, including the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

“Given the moral/spiritual decadence, Cabinet should act swiftly. There should be no delay whatsoever in appointing this post.”

“As we look at the whole issue of leadership in the country, leadership makes a difference. We can’t take a position of leadership that is so critical to our country and trivialise it.” He said many people think the country has a crisis in leadership and succession planning. “This doesn’t auger well for our development as a young nation. It makes a mockery of 2020.”

Dottin noted that if the formal selection process for a CoP falls through, the PSC would still have to be involved in appointing an acting CoP. However he noted that even as the PSC struggles to appoint a CoP, the term of the PSC itself would soon be over.“It places us in an unenviable position. Our three years will be up next June. We have to look at that perspective also. Commissions were established to insulate the Public Service from political interference. That’s why they were established”. He urged citizens to be alert over the issue of constitutional reform.