If you’re gonna play, PNP, play fair!
Dear Editor,
I write in response to the article, ‘Montague out of order, says PNP’, published on September 8, 2017.
While I can only hope that all the members of the People’s National Party (PNP) are of sound mind, I am unable to piece together their possible train of thought before penning and submitting such a statement. Perhaps, the PNP should invest in a new team of spin doctors to ensure that their political nit-picking doesn’t always come off quite so nonsensical.
On Wednesday, September 6, Minister of National Security Robert Montague called for “deserving officers” of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to be promoted, noting that there is a real issue of police officers being overlooked for promotions. The minister cited a number of vacancies: 64 inspectors, 85 assistant superintendents, 14 deputy superintendents, 11 superintendents, 10 senior superintendents, two assistant commissioners of police, and one deputy commissioner.
While making the vacancies known, the minister declared that his Administration has the money to pay, and so deserving members should be promoted. Why not?
While the Opposition continues to play political football, searching for cool points here and there, the minister is simply trying to find solutions to the nation’s crime problem, which is his ministerial responsibility.
The truth is very simple: The JCF is made up of a highly demotivated staff, with an attrition rate of 500 cops per year. There are openings available, while qualified cops sit painfully in waiting. The minister is well within his right to ask that officers be promoted. The Opposition should desist from seeking political mileage while holding the country hostage.
Patrice Mclean
patmclean74@gmail.com