Police commissioners must have corporate skills – Chang

NATIONAL SECURITY Minister Dr Horace Chang has said that in order to successfully tackle organised crime and provide effective leadership, modernday police commissioners must adopt corporate strategies similar to business leaders.

Chang made the statement while addressing the opening ceremony of the 33rd annual general conference of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police (ACCP) at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James on Monday.

“The model police commissioners today must become business-savvy leaders, sensitive to the organisational requirements of the professional modern force,” said Chang.

“In order to address the complexity of organised crime, the modern force is led by police commissioners that are holders of multiple intelligences, [they are] essentially modern corporate leaders with all the requisite skill sets required for such individuals in today’s world,” he added.

“What this business-sensitive approach will create is a cordial, sociable peace-keeping officer, who also has the skill and professional awareness to intercept and counter organised criminal syndicates, which themselves have started to operate as complex corporate organisations, using every modern technology,” Chang said.

“It is instructive that, as Caribbean leaders in the field of security, you have chosen Montego Bay to host this important conference today,” noted the national security minister. “It is not lost on us, the citizens of Montego Bay, that what will impact the issue of crime in this city is strong, decisive leadership, as we rise to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world where we acknowledge the need for transformational leaders in the police force,” he said.