I write with reference to the front page headline of The Island dated 19th instant, which reads "IP 's slam top brass over favouring outsiders".

It has been unwritten law or maxim in the Police, Department for certain superior officers to victimize Inspectors for reasons best known to the former. It has been going on over the years and the Inspectorate has stomached these injustices for fear of reprisals in the event of a protest, by way of a transfer to an uncongenial station or other forms of harassment. The words used by the superior officers are that "Inspector ‘X’ is too big for his boots" or "Inspector ‘Y’ has a swollen head", etc. I am glad that the Inspector referred to in the column above has stated that "we will aggressively strive to cripple this move" and refers to threats directed at the Inspectorate once considered the backbone of the Department.

There was once an instance of a superior officer building a private dwelling house and the Inspectorate in the Division under his charge provided him with building materials, gratis. One Inspector who was highly qualified for promotion was not recommended by this senior officer because this Inspector lived within his salary, a very honest officer who could not provide his superior goods and services as required. May the turf lie lightly on this house builder.

Then there was another instance of the names of two Assistant Superintendents of Police being knocked off the recommended list to be promoted as Superintendents, by a highly placed superior officer, as the two ASPs were not "Yes" men who had the congenital defect of not being able to bend their spines so low, to lick this superior’s boots. The two ASPs had a long struggle to get their promotions on the due date. Retribution has already arrived for this injustice.

Martin Luther King, the Civil Rights leader has said "To put injustice right, it must be exposed". In this context, I wish to quote from Circular No. SE/B7/78 of 24.02.1978, issued by the then Inspector General of Police Rudra Rajasingham, which goes thus "Our duty by our subordinates must be kept in mind and they should not be made to suffer in their promotions, for no fault of theirs."

This would suffice for the powers that be, as a guideline for future promotions in the Police Department.