Top cops to face off
Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin (left) and Deputy Commissioner Bertie Hinds.
Fri, September 03, 2010 - 12:05 AM
by TIM SLINGER
A simmering row between Barbados two top cops has now burst open on the public scene with Commissioner Darwin Dottin vowing to vigorously defend himself against charges of professional misconduct.
The charges have been laid by the Police Service Commission (PSC) and Dottin states his deputy, Bertie Hinds is behind it.
In an affidavit for a High Court injunction against the PSC, Dottin accused the commission of not acting even-handed when dealing with issues submitted by Hinds and himself, noting that“they invariably act on those of Deputy Commissioner Hinds”.
Dottin is accused of:
(1) stating a falsehood, that suspended officer Sergeant Carlos Thompson did not have use of a Government car while on suspension
(2) Repeated failures to brief Deputy Commissioner of Police Bertie Hinds when proceeding on leave
(3) Disclosing official information from counterpart Jamaica’s Deputy Commissioner of Police Waynemore Hinds to NATION’s Associate Managing Editor Tim Slinger for publication on March 25, 1010
(4) Requesting that disciplinary charges be dropped against Thompson despite being told the matter was sub judice.
“. . . I am of the view that these allegations of misconduct, apart from being untrue, are not of a serious nature and are in fact trivial.”
Safe country
Dottin added: “I also believe that the continuous attempts by Deputy Commissioner Hinds to make complaints about me to the Police Service Commission serves as an unnecessary and unfortunate distraction that ultimately takes the attention of the senior command of the force away from its core responsibilities of keeping the country safe . . . .”
Differences between the two top lawmen surfaced in March when Hinds gave the green light for a controversial concert by dancehall artistes Movado and Vybz Kartel of Jamaica.
The police chief charged that Hinds gave the impression that he (Hinds) took “decisions in respect of the show/concert because I [Dottin] did not brief him.”
In his affidavit, Dottin said, “The motives of the Deputy Commissioner Hinds can be discerned from the statements he made at a meeting on Wednesday March 24, 2010 with Assistant Commissioners Tyrone Griffith and Emmerson Moore . . . .
“According to Assistant Commissioner Grffith, Deputy Commissioner Hinds asked whether they had heard the interview on radio with the Prime Minister, the Honourable David Thompson.
Deputy Commissioner Hinds then paraphrased the Prime Minister’s comments and then determined that from what the Prime Minister had said that the show could be staged.”
“Assistant Commissioner Moorealso stated in his statement that Deputy Commissioner Hinds indicated that he took the comments from Prime Minister Thompson on the proposed show to mean that they should go on,” it added.
Dottin also submitted that Hinds had attended all meetings where he had made his views clear on the proposed show.
The police chief also commented about the alleged breach with his disclosing official information to Slinger and noted that the information had already been printed in the Jamaica mediaand was never of a confidential nature.
When contacted last night, Hinds said he had nothing to say. However confidential documents obtained by WEEKEND NATION indicate that last year Hinds lodged formal complaints about Dottin’s management with the chief personnel officer.
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This is a disgraceful and untenable situation. I am in shock that such minor matters could be used to bring the Commissioner and the Royal Barbados Police into disrepute.
At a time when the Force is seriously understaffed and when a weak economy is causing an increase in crime this is precisely what the Force does NOT need.
It is time for the Attorney-General, Freundel Stuart to act and show some leadership to resolve this problem. I am told that there is a political undercurrent to this debacle. Please Mr. Stuart prove it isn’t so by putting an end to this situation.
It is not too late to bring the parties together behind closed doors and resolve the differences. For the sake of our peace and security it must be done.
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Comment LinkThe leadership of the RBP too busy fighting amongst each other, meanwhile there are thugs running about de place burning people alive. Barbados wake up and demand that your leaders lead and stop the bickering. I love Barbados and want it to continue to be a place where I feel safe when I visit.
Banjan Yankee.
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Comment LinkI do believe that in the interest of stability in the organisation, that both DCP hinds and COP Dottin should go. Both are pass the age of 60 years and have nothing fresh to offer the organisation. The constant bickering by both is undermining the organisation.
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