“Misinformation” is what Acting Commissioner of Police Atlee Rodney said was the reason behind recent strained relationship between him and the Police Welfare Association (PWA).
Late last month, the PWA and the Acting Commissioner were engaged in a dispute, stemming from Rodney’s refusal to approve – in a timely manner – a request regarding leave for one of the officers to represent the association abroad.
The situation further escalated when the Acting Commissioner walked out of a planned meeting to discuss that issue, and other matters, due to the presence of the media.
However, Rodney, on Wednesday, revealed that these issues have apparently been laid to rest.
He explained that the situation may have escalated due to simple misunderstandings and even went further to dismiss claims of any animosity he has against the PWA.
“There was some misinformation and there were some issues that persons probably didn’t have the true picture. There was never a confrontation or some conflict with the Welfare Association. As I have said over the years is that the interest of the Welfare and the interest of the office of the Commissioner is basically the same. You want the best for the officers and if someone is standing up for the betterment of the officers, then I am not going to be in their way.
“In my earlier part of my career, I was a part of the Welfare executive and served on the executive so it’s not something that is alien to me; it’s not something that I dislike or have any confrontational techniques towards them. I try to work along with them.”
Rodney further revealed that the situation in which he left the meeting with the Welfare Commission was also, largely misunderstood.
“It was not a matter that I walked out. I think that I was in that meeting for quite a while. I explained to them that I think that this is an internal matter and I don’t think that the press had any business to be in there and it is at that time that I left. It’s when I saw the camera persons and the reporters so I said to them ‘if we are dealing with an internal matter like any other organisation then I think that it’s best that we dealt with it internally and not in the public’.”
Following the reported amends made by both bodies, the Acting Commissioner is now hoping that the relationship between the offices should be straightforward and amicable, as they have the same mandate to make the police force better.