By Robert Hart, Staff ReporterTHE IMPROVEMENT and expansion of the Police Public Complaints Authority (PPCA) have failed to get off the ground, despite promises made by the Government more than a year ago.
Speaking during Tuesday's meeting of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Carol Palmer, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, said: "The expansion of the PPCA was supposed to be undertaken this year. That has not been possible to date."
Responsibility for the PPCA falls under the Justice Ministry.
The improvements to the complaints agency, which was set up 10 years ago as an independent body with powers to investigate allegations of misconduct against the public committed by the police, include the widening of investigative powers and boosting of manpower to enhance its effectiveness.
This was announced by Dr. Peter Phillips, the Minister of National Security, during his 2002/2003 sectoral debate
presentation.
"It (the improvement) is now subject to a submission that will be going forward to Cabinet," Mrs. Palmer told PAC members, including Opposition Spokesman on National Security, Derrick Smith.
MATTER OF CONCERN
A distressed Mr. Smith, who was critical of the Government for its tardiness in implementing the improvements, characterised the revelation as "serious".
Opposition Spokesman on Justice, Delroy Chuck, said it was a matter "of great concern".
The numerous allegations of police excesses, he said, have led to a number of complaints coming to the authority.
"But the investigators, I understand, are now overburdened and overworked and therefore, if we don't remedy this situation quickly, the PPCA will shortly lose the confidence and trust that it has built up over the last number of years," he said.
Despite acknowledging complaints made that the PPCA has "a serious problem with resources", and that the burden of under-funding was becoming unbearable, Mrs. Palmer said the investigators have been dedicated to their responsibilities.
"Notwithstanding, the PPCA has responded to every incident whether they have been asked to intervene or not, as a matter of course, once there is an incident, they get involved and they do their investigations independently," she said.
LEVEL OF SUCCESS
Between 1998 and 2002, the PPCA received and investigated 1,123 complaints from the public. Those investigations led to 42 criminal charges being brought against policemen after investigation from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
In July, the Ministry announced that investigators assigned to the PPCA would undergo an intensive, high-powered seven-month training programme geared at improving their investigative skills. The first component of the training, which started that month, covered areas such as conflict management, conducting diagnostic interviews and effective communication.
The training, the Ministry had said, would enhance the investigators' specialised skills and prepare the PPCA to assume additional responsibilities.
