In an open letter to Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs and Deputy Commissioner Jack Ewatski last February I had advised them that, were I in their position, I would have resigned.

That letter was a follow-up to a letter in January which listed the reasons for the scourge of crime.

The conclusion was that, even with the best will in the world, they would not be able to make any big change given the fact that our "crime sores ran deep".

I reiterate why I came to that conclusion:

1. It was clear that much of the problems within the Police Service were a reflection of a malaise which was a feature of the labour force in the country generally;

2. There has been a general decay in family life and morality and a noticeable lack of respect for both the law and fellow citizens;

3. The people had been thirsting for a clear indication that crime was being "licked";

4. The population was made to believe that the arrival of the Canadians would have heralded a new dawn;

5. The negative behaviour of the Police Social and Welfare Association towards Messrs Gibbs and Ewatski was not making their task any easier;

6. There were indications at the hearings at the relevant parliamentary committee that the apparent inability of the officers to deliver and the cost of their contracts were an albatross from which the country ought to be relieved.

One may speculate about the reasons and the timing of their eventual resignations. Was it due to a need to salvage their reputations? Maybe a good opportunity presented itself with the attempt at micromanagement by the Minister of National Security and his statements supporting the positions which were being taken by the Police Social and Welfare Association, in particular, the Association's rejection of foreign officers and policy initiatives such as the 21st Century Policing Initiative. Did this open the way for both men to claim payment for the unexpired portion of their contracts?

These are questions for which public answers are required.

Errol OC Cupid

Trincity