(Trinidad Guardian) Former Boston, Los Angeles and New York City police chief William Bill Bratton on Monday said the problem of the corruption in the police force is difficult to solve but noted that the process of solving it must begin with the hiring process. He made the comment after arriving in T&T to conduct a seminar, titled “A country to defend”, at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain. Asked about what he would do to address the issue of corruption in the T&T Police Service (TTPS), Bratton said:
“The issue of corruption, unfortunately, is not unique to your country. The good news in that environment is where there is a will, there is a way.” Bratton said there were several strategies and techniques employed the world over to address such problems but that the process for ridding the service of corrupt officers should begin with the hiring process.
Speaking on his experiences at a press conference at Piarco airport on Monday, Bratton said: “There are techniques and strategies that can be employed here. The process begins in the hiring. They are bringing in the wrong type of people into the profession…that can help cause the problem.”
He said the good news was that there were systems to help deal with the problem but that it was a very difficult one with which to deal. Saying he did extensive work on the issue in Central America, he noted that many corrupt officers were often poorly trained, poorly paid and poorly selected. He said his purpose at the conference was to share his experiences from other countries but said he also would learn about T&T’s policing system.
