Kramer should respect process

I JOIN the wider critique on Justice Minister Bryan Kramer’s claim to amend the regulations governing the appointment of the police commissioner after the National Court nullified the appointment of David Manning last Friday on grounds of oversight and failing due diligence.
Kramer at that time was the police minister and from that elevated position, he pushed for the appointment of Manning to the top cop job against staggering odds, let alone an endless list of better-suited candidates and good old due process.
Now when the dusts have settled Kramer’s unrelenting interest in the police top brass lies threadbare.
He is now counting on precedence on previous police commissioner appointments lacking the credentials his best bet lacks.
What Kramer forgets or in his own words ‘ignorant or plain stupid’ is that over time, the position of police commissioner has become competitive and aspirants to that post have taken on additional trainings and qualifications to boost their credentials.
Resourceful policemen and women have taken up studies to hone their skills with graduate and post degrees, including PhDs.
In this age, any organisation doing recruitment would demand the best and additional qualification is often preferred when the competition gets right down to the wire. Instead of pulling down the established guidelines, Kramer, as a responsible legislator should raise the bar.
Time and circumstance require the best in the police command and not half-baked officials busking all the way on sheer political convenience.
Altering set recruitment procedures and guidelines to derive some murky sense of justice merely to appease the ego should not compromise the integrity of this Government.
Kramer should not tamper with the recruitment process but should build the system if he can.

David Lepi