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| NEWS > 03 November 2005 |
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Public opinion of police impro
Budapest, March 8 (MTI) - Hungarian public opinion of police work went up in 2004-2005 compared to the previous two years, a survey published on Wednesday said.
The performance and professional skills of policemen were more highly rated in 2004-2005, though concern focused on red tape and long waiting times for citizens' affairs to be handled, said a Gallup Hungary poll conducted in November-December 2005.
The overall performance of the police was favourably seen by 54 percent compared to 50 percent in 2003 and 44 percent in 2002.
Perceptions of general... Read more
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Cayman Net News, Grand Cayman
03 November 2005
This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.
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Deputy Commissioners Rudolph D
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Top Cop Queried
On 1 November, the Scottish Daily Record published a report concerning the newly appointed head of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) Stuart Kernohan and an extra-marital affair he had with a woman in Scotland who was a witness in a murder trial.
In a public statement Mr Kernohan acknowledged and confirmed the report and described it as a private matter that occurred twelve years ago.
The report details Mr Kernohan’s intimate involvement with the witness - a young woman who was “given 5000 pounds for her help in putting the killer behind bars” and with whom he fathered a child while married to someone else. The report also revealed that Cayman’s new top cop had, in the past, faced an internal police investigation over sexual harassment allegations, where charges were dropped.
The report comes at a time when the RCIPS is making every attempt to address rising crime in this country and when news has recently surfaced of criminal allegations against a serving RCIPS officer from his time as an officer in Canada.
The news is also, as one resident described it “really bad,” because it casts a horrible shadow over the area of background checks and due diligence in relation to the hiring of officers.
Having Mr Kernohan’s name hitting the headlines in this way is also a damaging blow to the country.
But most of all the report raises concern when seen in conjunction with the news concerning the former Toronto police officer, newly employed with RCIPS, while, at the same time, under investigation in relation to corruption charges in Toronto.
A Toronto newspaper report revealed that the officer left Toronto amidst allegations of police corruption, after handing in his resignation on 13 July. The fact is, by August 2005, less than a month later, that officer was on the RCIPS payroll here.
It is alleged that the officer suddenly resigned when Toronto police Internal Affairs investigators were finishing a probe of the officer’s conduct in relation to involvement in a price gouging motor vehicle licensing ring.
At the time the news broke here, the overall, Chief Secretary, Hon George McCarthy, was asked about recruitment and due diligence procedures in relation to hiring within the RCIPS and he said, “I am not totally familiar with the procedures. My only experience with the recruitment process was with the recent hiring of the Police Commissioner.”
However, Mr McCarthy also said, “I know that every precaution is taken. I know where the officers are coming from gives strong signals in terms of character. Naturally, in the police force, due diligence is of the highest priority.”
The fact that this officer was employed with the RCIPS, even while the Toronto Police were still in the throes of investigating his alleged unscrupulous behaviour, also raised alarm bells about recruitment procedures, checking of references and due diligence.
Speaking with Cayman Net News at the time in relation to RCIPS procedures Rudolph Dixon, who was at the time, Acting Police Commissioner, said, “I am aware of the report in relation to the officer. There are procedures that we follow. There is one observed before the person is employed. In addition, there is one observed after, for circumstances like these.
“I am currently looking into what transpired in the vetting and processing period prior to this officer’s employment. We are also certainly looking into the allegations made in the newspaper article.”
More significantly, what has sounded alarm bells even further is that the Toronto officer has been allowed to remain on the job, even while high-level investigations on him continue in Canada.
Hon Kurt Tibbetts, Leader of Government Business and Minister of District Administration, Planning, Agriculture & Housing echoed alarm about the matter. Speaking at a Media Briefing on Friday 28 October he said that he was “concerned” that the Toronto officer was still on the job.
He also said that Cabinet members would be meeting with Mr McCarthy on that evening and would raise the matter.
On the day the news broke concerning Mr Kernohan, speaking with Cayman Net News, Mr McCarthy said, “I query the objective of the author of the Scottish Daily Record article because he has dug into Mr Kernohan’s past and, at the same time, married that story to inaccurate statements about well-known Yardie gangsters settling in the Cayman Islands.
“The author of that article also stated that Cayman had a status to launder money. For me, this diminishes the credibility of the author.”
In his own statement regarding the story, Mr Kernohan said he had seen the article that was circulating about his past and he said: “I am sorry that the public of the Cayman Islands have had to read this story that a newspaper ran about eight years ago. This is not the first time that this story has been run to sensationalise this private matter and it has caused considerable upset to my two daughters and ex wife who remain in Scotland. I have already spoken to them today and I am in regular contact with them.
“I am here to do a job as Commissioner of Police and I intend to do it to the best of my ability. This sensationalism will not detract from my determination to serve the people of the Cayman Islands.”
Cayman Net News however put questions to the Commissioner relating not to his infidelity but the fact that he accepted the post as Commissioner to lead the fight against crime and yet the woman with whom he was involved was a key witness in a murder trial which, if this was a case in which he was closely involved would at the very least create a serious case of conflict of interest and at worst, possible misconduct.
Net News asked Mr Kernohan to confirm the allegations that he was involved in the murder trial in which Kerry Bristol was a witness. Mr Kernoham refused to comment on that and other questions which included; “Ms Bristol was under police protection. Were you part of that detail?”; “Who brought the sexual harassment charges against you?”; “Did you present any of these facts at the time of your interview?”
Mr Kernoham said through Press Liaison officer Maria McLean that he was unable to comment on any of these things at this time.
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