Seychelles Police and a continued improvement process – A point of view |27 July 2016

I can still recall clearly when I was going through my Peace Officer’s Standards of Training in the State of California and training as a police officer under a California Highway Patrol instructor, I was introduced to William Edward Deming’s principles of management.  What I learned in those Law Enforcement classes resonated deeply as did Deming’s ‘TQM’ (Total Quality Management) approach.

The approach to ‘quality’ I was taught applied to officers enforcing the law as ‘managers’ on the street. “When people and organisations focus primarily on quality”, then as a direct result, “quality tends to increase while costs fall over time”.  As managers, police officers need to understand that they contribute to what is good or bad and that costs as well should be of their concern.

The government can continue to add resources and equipment, spending here and there, however without addressing and I repeat QUALITY with a ‘William Deming’ or relevant approach, then I am afraid all will be for naught!

In Seychelles there is a need, and here I am heartened that the Commissioner of Police in his most recent interview, acknowledged that some officers, and here I infer, be they veterans or just out of the academy, are not lending themselves properly to the public in their service delivery and that their performance is not to an envisioned standard.  The commissioner said and I quote, “officers’ behaviour and attitudes who serve the public persistently remain a concern”. 

Commissioner Elizabeth is 100% correct for if the police is to gain ground on its delivery of service with the general public in mind, then it has once and for all to understand that a lack of quality is denying and preventing the Seychelles Police from really achieving more.

The commissioner should perhaps as well anticipate and aim for the following while addressing how best an officer can be a better manager by challenging and improving upon:

1)        Traffic enforcement involving all police officers 24/7;

2)        Better use of personnel such as two officers to a patrol unit;

3)       Better positioning and use of police marked and unmarked police units;

4)       Giving more time off  for training and rest by better utilising all personnel when on assignments;

5)       And encouraging all officers to remember that we are all friendly island people – so more smiles and ‘hellos’ and ‘how are you?’,  are definitely needed by all serving police officers today!

I conclude. I know that we will be on our way to  achieving the above when next time I am stopped by a constable to check on my insurance, driver’s license and registration, that when I will be greeted with a, “Good evening Sir,” instead of ‘Driver’, and with a smile, that something right is being done.  After all a little politeness as well adds to quality!

Thank you.

Raymond K. St Ange