The RCIPS has been getting, quite rightly, some good press over their recent arrests and charges against the alleged perpetrators of the recent crime wave. Things over at police headquarters seem to be getting better.

However, the fall down, is still when the case comes to trial and paperwork is missing and/or questions arise with procedures not having been carried out correctly, witnesses not being notified, delays, etc.

One such instance happened on Monday (27) but this time the lead police officer notified the court at the very last minute that she was unable to attend because she was going abroad with her daughter. Her daughter was attending University.

The case involved Robert Aaron Crawford (19), who is facing charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm and was expecting his judge-alone trial to begin on Monday. The key witness in the trial is this officer and the defence was not informed she would not be available until Friday (24) – just before the trial date.

Justice Quinn, the presiding judge, is furious and so he should be.

The officer in question had known about the trial for TEN WEEKS!

It is outrageous that this officer waited until the eleventh hour to announce she would not be there. The Judge warned that this could not and must not happen again.

The defendant now has to remain in Northward on remand until 1 October when the trial has been rescheduled. I hope this officer doesn’t decide she needs to take another trip away.

I have to ask the question, why was this officer allowed to leave the Island a matter of a few days before a trial where she was the lead officer and main witness? She must have got permission from someone in authority. Why was the Court informed only at the very last moment? Doesn’t the RCIPS have any idea that any postponement involves costs? Costs we cannot afford.

Because of government financial cutbacks the RCIPS is about to lose its helicopter because the premier says the country cannot afford the cost of running it. Commissioner Baines, I want you to keep your helicopter. This is not good publicity for a police force that wants to show it doesn’t waste the public’s money and desires the public’s support.

And talking of time……..

Look at the wasted time all the witnesses have lost. The wasted time in trying to get them to appear. Time costs money.

The defendant has been serving time in custody at HMP Northward Prison since his arrest in November, 2011 and now has to wait out more time.

All this because a police officer has to be with her daughter (and must have known about it for some time – the start of a University term is not a last minute affair) and the RCIPS seems not to care that it involves other people’s time too. And all this wasted time has to be done all over again.

I share Justice Quin’s “hope” that it doesn’t happen again. I would have demanded that it will not!