Trinidad Govt, cops adopt Rduy Giuliani crime plan

TrinidadExpress ^ | 05/09/04 | Ucill Cambridge

[Pikamax]

New crime tool for T&T

Govt, cops adopt Giuliani plan

By Ucill Cambridge

Sunday, May 9th 2004

Acting Commissioner of Police Trevor Paul at his office at Police Administration Building, Sackville Street Port of Spain. Photo: STEPHEN DOOBAY

THE Trinidad and Tobago Police Service is at the stage of implementing former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's COMPSTAT concept as part of its crime-fighting plan.

This from Acting Police Commissioner Trevor Paul at his office on Friday evening, where he had invited the media to meet Assistant Chief Gerald Darling, of the Miami Police Department.

Darling spent a week in Trinidad on the invitation of National Security Minister Martin Joseph as part of a leadership development series. He spoke on COMPSTAT as a Crime Control Model, Use of Force, and Community Policing.

Responding to questions by the media, who were taken by surprise at the announcement, Commissioner Paul said COMPSTAT had never been rejected by the Ministry.

COMPSTAT was a term made familiar to the general public in November last year when Giuliani, the man credited with developing the system, was in Trinidad to lecture as part of the Clico Distinguished Lecture Series.

Joseph later declined an offer made by Giuliani to provide professional services to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.

In a statement, the Minister said: "This brings to an end deliberations which began in mid-December 2003, when the US firm submitted a proposal to the Minister, following a visit to Trinidad that included a presentation to invited guests by former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and CEO of Giuliani Partners LLC."

It was adjudged by the Government, the statement said, that the Giuliani proposal was not likely to achieve the required transformation of the Police Service. It added that the Government was satisfied that an alternative approach, deriving different value, could be undertaken for the expenditure to the tune of $15 million, which was proposed as initial costs by the Giuliani firm.

"The (COMPSTAT) concept was never rejected," Paul insisted on Friday.

"Before Giuliani came to Trinidad we were looking at COMPSTAT and had people lecturing to us on COMPSTAT. We have been pursuing COMPSTAT," Paul said.

"We are actually in the implementation stage of using that crime control model which will involve COMPSTAT and which will require divisional commanders to really account for what is happening in their division, under their command. We are really into that and the results of that effort we will see as we go along," he added.

Darling, meanwhile, let on that he has been invited to return to this country to work with the Police Service on implementing the model.

Asked what he had done to sell the model to the Government, Darling said he had not come "to be an advocate for the COMPSTAT process".

"I was here to give the officials an idea of the model and how it has been applied. The COMPSTAT model is not one particular model, it is adapted or adaptable to the particular situation. And, that model can be utilised as a crime prevention measure and an accountability measure, but it has to be utilised in a way that the strategies are adaptable.

"No one model fits every situation or every country. COMPSTAT is just a term. The true term for it is the 'crime control model' where you utilise whatever resources you have to control crime.

"People get locked into the word COMPSTAT. That is the New York model, but other states and countries are utilising crime control measures adapted to their particular means and resources," Darling said.

Paul said that under the model, divisional commanders in the service would be held fully accountable for what was happening in their division and cases of negligence could lead to the heads of divisions being denied promotion, being demoted or, in extreme cases, being dismissed.

An Express report last November 10, following the Giuliani visit, stated, "Heads of divisions need to be made accountable for the crime rate in their areas and, if they are unable to get the rates down, they should be given a chance to retire or be demoted. This in a nutshell is how New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said he had dealt with the New York Police Department..."

Commissioner Paul said a very deliberate and structured method of having the commanders made accountable would be introduced.

"If you look at the laws, they are responsible, and we can really enforce that aspect of the law using this model," he said.

"This accountability will be so embracing it will include people not being promoted if they are not performing, And, if we can find ways, if you demonstrate that lack of responsibility to the extent that you are negligent we can enforce disciplinary action that can possibly result in demotion or, depending on the extent of that commander's negligence, there is a possibility that that can lead to the termination of one's appointment," Paul explained.

Darling, who has 22 years in the service, said he believed the local Police Service was moving in the right direction and added that he was impressed with the work of the Special Anti-Crime Fighting Unit.

"The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service is moving in the right direction in ensuring that all citizens get a quality Police Service. I observed a sincere effort being made to ensure that this is the best Police Service there is," he remarked.

About the special unit, he said, "I am very impressed with what they are doing. A lot of the objectives they have in dealing with some of the issues which are facing the community are definitely in place, and their seeking to ensure they have the adequate resources to deal with these situations, and along with the crime accountability measures being put in place, the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago should start seeing positive results," Darling said.

He does, however, recommend a periodic review of the rules and regulations governing the Service.