{"id":20147,"date":"2018-09-20T13:46:50","date_gmt":"2018-09-20T17:46:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=20147"},"modified":"2018-09-21T09:13:52","modified_gmt":"2018-09-21T13:13:52","slug":"commentary-the-commissioners-conundrum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/commentary-the-commissioners-conundrum\/","title":{"rendered":"COMMENTARY: The Commissioners’ Conundrum"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Seemingly\ninnocently entrapped in the\n\u2018…Commissioners\u2019 Conundrum,<\/strong>\u2019 Acting Commissioner of Police Atlee Rodney,\nmay have been vice-gripped, and awkwardly positioned to cause the institution\nof disciplinary proceedings against his Commissioner Wendell Robinson. Though\nthe Police Service Commission (PSC) may be apportioned blame for abdicating its\nconstitutional responsibilities, it shall share responsibilities with Acting\nCommissioner Atlee Rodney, who may have found himself inescapably entangled in\na dilemma. Moreover, it may require the magical exploits of the famous magician\n\u2018…Harry Houdini\u2019 [1874-1926] to free himself. This may allow for a\nbruise-less ego and reputation. Incidentally, if not embarrassingly, by a\nsanctioned investigation and recommended appointment of a three-member\nCaribbean Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) team of\ninvestigators, if slapped with disciplinary charges, the most likely, \u2018…Discreditable Conduct,\u2019<\/strong> he may not\nbe authoritatively positioned to instruct or order Commissioner Wendell\nRobinson, to attend before the Police Service Commission to answer such\ncharges.<\/p>

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PERSPECTIVE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\ncommentary specifically looks at, inter alia, the procedures followed in the\ninvestigative process, particularly (a) …Decision to task Acting Commissioner\nAttlee Rodney with the investigations; (b) …Possible difficulties faced by\nthe Acting Commissioner; (c) …Difficulties of Police Service Commission in\nconvening and conducting a disciplinary hearing against Commissioner of Police\nWendell Robinson; (d) …Statutory provisions contained for investigating internal\nForce discipline; (e) …Constitutional provisions of the Police Service\nCommission (PSC); (f) …Appointment of three Special Constables to conduct\ninvestigations on his behalf; (g) …Procedure at Hearing.\u2019 The ministerial\nmaking of the \u2018…Procedural\nRegulations\u2019<\/strong> considered that options shall be given to an accused officer\nfor the conduct of his defence. Thus, it provides that the \u2018…Accused may\nconduct his defence either in person or by a member of the Force or by Counsel\u2019\n[Police Act: Chapter 330: Section 8 (6)].<\/p>

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DISCIPLINARY INVESTIGATIONS<\/strong><\/p>

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When\nthe disciplinary regulations were made for the Police Service, it may not have\nbeen envisaged that a Commissioner of Police would himself be cited for any\nbreach of the \u2018…Disciplinary Code,\u2019 as to have been subjected to the\nindignity of \u2018…Disciplinary Investigations.\u2019<\/strong>\nThat which is noteworthy and supports such contention might be discerned from\nthe Regulation that states, \u2018…A reference to the Complainant is a reference\nto the originator of the complaint, notwithstanding that it was received by the\nCommission; …Minister or Commissioner of Police from or through some other\nperson or body\u2019 [Section 10 (4)]. Unlike the Commission with constitutional\nprescriptive authority and the Commissioner of Police with statutory powers, a\nMinister receiving a complaint against an offending member of the Police\nService, shall channel such complaint to the office of the Commissioner of\nPolice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

INAPPROPRIATE SEXUAL\nADVANCES<\/strong><\/p>

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The\nofficial records, as with affidavits will show that the Police Service\nCommission (PSC) had received Complaints from \u2018…three male subordinates and\nan applicant\u2019 seeking membership in the Police Service. The Complaints of \u2018…inappropriate\nsexual advances,\u2019 were reportedly referred to Acting Commissioner Atlee Rodney\n[Court Affidavit]. The disciplinary regulations make it sufficiently clear that\n\u2018…When a report, allegation or complaint is received by the Commissioner of\nPolice from which it appears that a member of the Force may have committed an\noffence, the matter shall be referred to an investigating officer who shall\ncause it to be investigated\u2019 [Section 4: Chapter 330: Vol. 12]. This has never\nbeen the responsibility, role or function of the \u2018PSC.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CLARITY OF\nUNDERSTANDING<\/strong><\/p>

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For\n\u2018…Clarity of Understanding,\u2019<\/strong> the\nregulations further state \u2018…The investigating officer shall be a member of\nthe Force of or above the rank of Sergeant as may be designated by the\nCommissioner for the purpose\u2019 [Sections (2) & (3)]. There has never been\nany reference to the Police Service Commission as far as directing the\nCommissioner of Police in conducting disciplinary complaints against any member\nof the Police Service. The vexed question posed was, \u2018…Why Acting\nCommissioner Atlee Rodney was saddled with the unenviable task of conducting\ninvestigation into the conduct of his superior Wendell Robinson?\u2019 The\nsubstantive holder of the position, he is solely charged with responsibility\nfor inter alia, (i) …Superintending the Police Force; (ii) …Ensuring a high\nstandard of discipline is maintained and exhibited at all material times: (iii)\n…Enforcing and ensuring the Rule of Law; (iv) …Maintaining law and order;\nand (v) …Preventing and detecting and prosecuting criminals and controlling\ncrime [Section 6]. <\/p>

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CRIMINAL\nINVESTIGATIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\nwas to the knowledge and experience that apart from the \u2018…preservation of order,\u2019\nsituations may demand that a Commissioner of Police makes recommendations for\nthe appointment of \u2018…Special Constables,\u2019 but only to the extent of assisting\nthe national Police Force with the expertise of \u2018…Criminal Investigators.\u2019 <\/strong>For such services, they shall be given\nPolice powers of arrest and detention and placed under the orders and\nsupervision of a designated officer or in his absence, the Commissioner of\nPolice [Section 76]. Functioning in such capacity, they were not considered\nmembers of the local Constabulary as prescribed in the Act [Section 18]. Though\ninfrequently, this has been previously done in cases such as the brazen\ndaylight and merciless killing of Susan Powell\u2019 [February 26, 2013], when a\ntwo-man team of Barbadian Police investigators ended their engagement in\nfutility. Then there was the successful engagement of Scotland Yard Detectives\nin (i) …the Comptroller of Customs Rolston Samuel\u2019s murder of savagery\n[January 8, 1993]; (ii) …Yacht Computacenter Challenger multiple murders in\nBarbuda [January 30, 1994]; and (iii) …the double-murder of Ben and Catherine\nMullany [July 14, 2008].\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

CONTENTIOUS AND\nTROUBLING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nclearly different circumstances, a \u2018…Contentious\nand Troubling\u2019<\/strong> area for Acting Commissioner Atlee Rodney, has been the\n\u2018…Appointment of Special Constables.\u2019 This often requires a policy-decision\ntaken at the National Security level with referrals to the Police Service\nCommission to complete the necessary formalities. For enlightenment, the law\nstates \u2018…The Commission may, any time that they think it expedient in the\npublic interest so to do, appoint fit and proper persons to be Special\nConstables to act as such for the preservation of the peace\u2019 [Section 72:\nPolice Act: Chapter 330]. Even with the word \u2018may,\u2019 a policy-decision taken at\nthat level removes all discretion and imposes a duty upon the Commission to\nmake recommended appointments by the Commissioner of Police as approved by the\nExecutive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

PROCEDURAL LAPSES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\nwas not clear what the Chairman of the seven-member Kelvin John may have been\nthinking. However, the unfolding events and obvious \u2018…Procedural Lapses,\u2019<\/strong> speak to a body clearly starved of procedural\nknowledge. The most troubling aspects appeared to have been the appointment and\nempowerment of the regional investigators with Police powers for a seemingly\nill-advised role in conducting disciplinary investigations. This appears\nembarrassingly out of its scope and far removed from \u2018…CARICOM IMPACS Crime\nand Security Agenda.\u2019 Even so, no blame may be apportioned to the \u2018Police Service\nCommission\u2019 for external arrangements not advocated nor sanctioned by the body.\nThough its \u2018…dilly- dallying tactics\u2019 with clear moments of uncertainty and indecision\nthat provoked angst among the personnel and the citizenry, the record will show\nthat it had discharged its constitutional responsibilities [CO: Section 105:\n& Sections 16 & 37: Police Act: Chapter 330]. More importantly, it will\nshow that the offending Commissioner was \u2018…immediately\nsuspended from office<\/strong> until the\nCommission decides otherwise\u2019<\/strong> [ANR: April 5, 2018]. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ERROR AND IGNORANCE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As\nthe exceedingly long delayed investigation was said to have been completed,\nthat which now hangs in the balance\u2019for\nthe substantive holder of the office of Commissioner, Wendell Robinson\u2019s are\n(a) …successful and rewarding career and (b) …the prospects of tenure of\nlongevity.\u2019 While the complaints against the suspended Commissioner were to be\ngiven very serious attention, the investigative procedures followed appeared\nill-advised and inapplicable. The disciplinary regulations provide no legal\nbasis for Special Constables to be appointed to investigate internal Force\ndiscipline. Research has failed to show that such is obtained in jurisdictions\nwithin the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States. Yet for the very first\ntime in the nation\u2019s law enforcement history, Special Constables had been\nappointed to investigate the conduct of a Commissioner of Police. Candidly put,\nthis appears to be more out of administrative \u2018Error\u2019<\/strong> and procedural \u2018Ignorance<\/strong>.\u2019\nThere are further possible difficulties if the accused Commissioner is slapped\nwith disciplinary charges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

PROCEDURE AT HEARING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such\nmight be contingent upon an insurmountable hurdle now facing the Acting\nCommissioner. This has to do with the stipulated \u2018…Procedure at Hearing.\u2019 <\/strong>The regulations \u00a0specifically states (i) \u2018…The accused shall\nbe ordered to appear at the hearing of the case; (ii) …The Commission shall\nhear the case; (iii) …The case against the accused shall be presented by a\nmember of the Force designated by the Commissioner of Police\u2019 [Section 8]. In\nmost disciplined organizations, while suggestions and\/or information flows up\nthe chain of command, \u2018…orders; …commands; …instructions; and\/or\ndirectives flow only from a \u2018…top-down position.\u2019 Thus, in view of the\norganizational structure, while an inferior may cause disciplinary action to be\ntaken against a superior for oppressive conduct, the regulations do not allow\nfor an inferior to discipline his superior or to order him to attend hearings\nbefore disciplinary tribunals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IGNORANCE OR\nINCOMPETENCE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consequent\nupon the action taken against Commissioner Wendell Robinson, there have been\nanxious moments for some, equally as much as there has been eager anticipation\nby others of the investigative outcome. Reasonable inferences may have been\ndrawn that either out of \u2018…Ignorance\nor Incompetence,\u2019<\/strong> that before the ink may have been dried regarding his\nappointment by the Police Service Commission; it had shifted its\nresponsibilities to an apparent unsuspecting and docile Acting Commissioner of\nPolice Atlee Rodney. Though the Police Service Commissions is not an\ninvestigative body, anticipating that it might be impelled to initiate disciplinary\naction against holders of offices within the Police Service, framers of the\nConstitution Order prudently inserted this Section \u2018…The Commission may, with\nthe consent of the Prime Minister confer powers or impose duties on any public\nofficer or on any authority of the Government for the purpose of the exercise\nof its function\u2019 [CO: Section 99 (13)]. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

CONSTITUTIONAL\nPROVISIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\nis important to note that while the \u2018…Constitutional\nProvisions\u2019<\/strong> allow for the Commission to confer authority or imposed duties\non public officers with written consent of a Prime Minister, the historic case \u2018…Regina\nv Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Blackburn Ex parte\u2019 has made it clear that\n\u2018…No member of the Crown and no Police authority, may command, order, direct,\ninstruct or impose their will on the office of Commissioner [1968: 1 AER: 763].\nThough not necessarily sacrosanct, the actions of the office holder is not only\nto be guided by the law, but also said to be \u2018…responsible only to the law\u2019\n[Lord Alfred Thompson Denning: Master of the Roll]. Ensuring that the\nseven-member Police Service Commission understands their authority, the\nConstitution unambiguously states, \u2018…The provisions of sub-sections (2) to\n(15) inclusive of Section 99 of the Constitution, shall apply in relation to\nthe Police Service Commission as they apply in relation to the Public Service\nCommission [CO: Section 104 (2)].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CONSEQUENCES OF WOE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As\nthe extraordinary long and overdue investigation into alleged misconduct by\n\u2018…Commissioner of Police Wendell Robinson\u2019 was reported to have been\ncompleted, attention was said to have been on the \u2018…seven-member Police\nService Commission (PSC), Chaired by attorney Kelvin John, and Acting\nCommissioner of Police Atlee Rodney. The allegations that attracted widespread\nmedia coverage, saturated news portals and provoked intense public debates,\nexcept someone had become delusional, the stiff-necked could cause \u2018…Consequences of Woe\u2019 <\/strong>to be visited upon\nthem. Even so, given the nature of the Complaints, the record will show that\nthe Police Service Commission acted appropriately in an attempt at giving personnel\nand public assurances that irrespective of organizational rank, discipline was\nto be maintained at all levels of its structure [Section 105: Constitution\nOrder: 1981]. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

TREPIDATION AND HOPE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though\nits membership and Acting Commissioner of Police Atlee Rodney exhibited no\nacrimonious intent or instinct associated with the nature and voracious\ninstinct of lions, Commissioner of Police Wendell G. Robinson may have been\ngiven reasons to feel that he may have been hounded by three regional Police\nofficers appointed in the capacity of \u2018…Special Constables.\u2019 He may also have\nbeen led to believe that he was surrounded by humans with an uncanny spirit and\na devouring appetite of hungry lions. Looked at biblically, and from the\nexperience of \u2018Daniel who was confined to a \u2018…Den of Lions\u2019 [Daniel 6:15], in\nliving history, only a few persons have entered the habitat of lions and\nescaped without experiencing their mauling instinct. Likened to magicians,\nmesmerizing audiences by sleight of hands, keeping them spell-bound, while the\naccused\/suspended Commissioner waits with \u2018…Trepidation\nand Hope,\u2019<\/strong> rank and file members of the Police Service, and by extension\nthe citizenry, are all waiting patiently, yet with anxious expectations to see\nwhat may eventually unfold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CONCLUSION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While\nsubstantive holder of the office of Commissioner of Police, Wendell Robinson\nmay find no glimmer of hope, either in retaining or regaining positional favor,\nhe may still find some measure of comfort knowing that the Police Service\nCommission (PSC), suspended him from office and with fox-like cunningness, hid\nin the shadowsof Acting\nCommissioner Atlee Rodney. Even though the body had seemingly divorced itself\nfrom the investigation, with no justifiable reasons, the engagement and\nappointment of \u2018…Special Constables\u2019 for purposes other than \u2018…Crime and\nSecurity,\u2019 appeared procedurally incorrect [Section 74: Police Act: Vol. 12].\nThe procedures had shown evidence of an administrative decision \u2018…Pregnant with Irregularities.\u2019<\/strong> In\nthe \u2018…Terms of Reference,\u2019 even without submission of their findings,\ninvestigators were urged to proffer disciplinary charges against the\naccused\/suspended Commissioner [High Court Affidavit: ANUHCV: 2018\/0202]. This\nsuggested an exercise bordering a farce and may now be seen by Directors of the\nrequested agency as an administrative blunder. Subject to judicial review, the\nembattled Commissioner may now seek declarations in nullifying the (i)\n\u2018…Atlee Rodney-sanctioned investigation; (ii) …Special Constable Status;\n(iv) …delegated investigative authority; (v)\u00a0\n…their Report and findings,\u2019 as to be procedurally wrong and shall be\nvoid and deemed of no effect. ***<\/p>\n

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Seemingly innocently entrapped in the \u2018…Commissioners\u2019 Conundrum,\u2019 Acting Commissioner of Police Atlee Rodney, may have been vice-gripped, and awkwardly positioned to cause the institution of disciplinary proceedings against his Commissioner Wendell Robinson. Though the Police Service Commission (PSC) may be apportioned blame for abdicating its constitutional responsibilities, it shall share responsibilities with Acting Commissioner Atlee […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11633,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-letters-to-the-editor"],"yoast_head":"\nCOMMENTARY: The Commissioners' Conundrum - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/commentary-the-commissioners-conundrum\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"COMMENTARY: The Commissioners' Conundrum\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Seemingly innocently entrapped in the \u2018…Commissioners\u2019 Conundrum,\u2019 Acting Commissioner of Police Atlee Rodney, may have been vice-gripped, and awkwardly positioned to cause the institution of disciplinary proceedings against his Commissioner Wendell Robinson. Though the Police Service Commission (PSC) may be apportioned blame for abdicating its constitutional responsibilities, it shall share responsibilities with Acting Commissioner Atlee […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/commentary-the-commissioners-conundrum\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Antigua News Room\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-09-20T17:46:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-09-21T13:13:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Wendell.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"795\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"447\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Editor\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@AntiguaNewsRoom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@AntiguaNewsRoom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Editor\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/commentary-the-commissioners-conundrum\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/commentary-the-commissioners-conundrum\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Editor\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/36cac05ef6398fe56ae3e6317f8535c5\"},\"headline\":\"COMMENTARY: The Commissioners’ Conundrum\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-09-20T17:46:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-09-21T13:13:52+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/commentary-the-commissioners-conundrum\/\"},\"wordCount\":2284,\"commentCount\":2,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/commentary-the-commissioners-conundrum\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:795\/h:447\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Wendell.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Letters to the editor\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/commentary-the-commissioners-conundrum\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/commentary-the-commissioners-conundrum\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/commentary-the-commissioners-conundrum\/\",\"name\":\"COMMENTARY: The Commissioners' Conundrum - 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