Acting Welfare Association chair, Corporal Marilyn Harris, says the Police Welfare Association is displeased with the dismissive, disrespectful manner displayed by the Acting Commissioner of Police, Atlee Rodney.
A closed-door meeting to address the issue, with the Attorney General, the Commissioner of Police and the Welfare executive and its members, was set for November 25, 2019.
However, the planned meeting was postponed by Steadroy Benjamin, Attorney General, what occurred on Monday morning seems to have set the stage for further industrial action.
Corporal Harris could be heard pleading with the Commissioner to take a few questions from the membership, but Rodney refused, as he headed out the door, accompanied by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Albert Wade.
“He disrespectfully walked out on us, as if we are nothing” acting Welfare Association chair, Corporal Marilyn Harris said, addressing the members.
Before Rodney left, however, he expressed that he was not keen on the media being privy to the content of Monday’s meeting.
“What I would advise out of that meeting, and if that’s the format you want to use with documents and writing out the [other] concerns that you may have, you can always list them after your discussion; write them and present them” he stated, as he grabbed his police hat and walked out of the meeting, just 30 minutes after it began.
The members were unhappy with the outcome and utter sentiments of frustration; some expressed that the police force “is run down to the ground” because of the people who have been successively but unproductively placed in leadership roles.
While another uttered “we have questions for him;” “he cannot run the police force by himself;” “we are the foundation of the police force.”
Corporal Harris, who reminded the membership that the Commissioner “did not stay for one question,” told the crowd that “I am 24 years now in the police organisation and when I became a police officer I would have met persons here claiming that they were fighting for the rights of the police and 24 years after, things are worse than before.”
“We are not anti-administration, we are not anti-government, we are about getting the respect that is due to us here in Antigua and Barbuda. We are being disrespected from all angles. How can we say that we have an administration that supports us,” the officer explained?
The executive has therefore taken the decision to continue to stage the on-duty sit-in today until they are able to resolve their problems amicably.
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This is not good. It seems, as if those who are placed in authority, to manage the affairs, of the Nation tend to become gods unto themselves.
I wonder why?
Or as the Monarch would say, “when they have power, and authority, they don’t give a damn about nobody. Prostituting the island…”
We can say the same for welfare! She cpl Harris only started this cus her friend wanted to go St Vincent on our welfare money. No bady tarl lub more problems than she. One likkle funeral and them a go on so, lets see if they fight to go Vaughn Walters funeral.
I wish I could use the words I want on here to say something about you. What’s wrong with welfare standing up for what they believe is right. Seems you’re one of the news carriers so what ever unproductive Atlee and them do they’re right?
Wendell Roberson sitting at home getting paid and laughing his a** off as Atlee Rodney making a joke of himself and the police force
I agree with everything the welfare department said. What leader have officers investigating a crime but have no clue what days are included in the 48 hours. What head of a police department allows this to occur? I am demanding that this day forth any Commissioner of police or deputy MUST Have at least a BACHELOR’S Degree in some kind of Social Science (Criminal Justice, Police Science, Criminologist, Sociology, Psychology or law).
There are charges that were made and take out the relationship I may have with some, on paper, using only the evidence available, it was practically impossible for a reasonable and prudent officer or prosecutor to charge an individual with such crime after base on the circumstantial evidence in favor of the accused and it is his word against the other word?
This country is in a sad state, officers are hired because they need officer, and no other criteria. Commissioners are named base on years of service, not training, not skills, not degrees, not education, not the ability to do the job but you are here more years, so you are now commissioner, the person in charge of taking life and liberty.
But you can not say anything in Antigua about this, we are honestly a bit backward there and I am not getting pleasure saying this, i am actually upset saying this and knowing it is the truth. I am sad.
You know what, I want Wendell Robinson back in charge. Do not transfer Wendell, he is trained to be in the position, he is an attorney. He knows criminal law, constitutional law, criminal procedure and administrative law, the main and part of the most important requirements to be at the helm of a police force.
If Wendell is not put back in place, I am going to demand, for Antigua to vote for a new Government. I like this government because it is better than the other option but I am serious, vote other if this government does not put the qualified people in place. Start with Wendell.
The so-called commissioner is a jellyfish he has no back bone🧐🧐
You see I’m not sorry for them … as me granny jus say “you know who you have but you na know who you ah get”… he was just waiting for the free light..🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
It is so distaseful to see all the dirty luandry of the police force being aired for all over the world to see. I don’t know how those men and women put on them uniform know well how the public is getting a view of how they operate behind closed doors
Miss Harris always in some confusion.
What goes around comes around I understand that the same Miss Harris was the cause of a similar drama at the Police Academy earlier this year.
She love problem much to do àbout nothing. She disrespect the top cop when she try to trap him by inviting media and not notifying him.
She love to much ugly, she has a problem spirit, anything she in will be full a problem.
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