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Jada Rutu
Opposition Senator Jayanti Luchi Media said there is an urgent need for a policy shift in the recruitment practices of police departments from physical to mental recruitment.
She was commenting on Thursday’s High Court ruling that police service regulations, which impose height requirements on recruits, are discriminatory.
In his ruling on January 8, Justice Robin Mohammed declared section 3(1)(f) unconstitutional and incompatible with the Constitution and ordered that the height requirement be removed as a prerequisite for recruitment in the police force.
Mohammed said in the ruling that the historical origins of the 167cm minimum height requirement are rooted in the colonial history of the British monarchy and symbolized strength and authority.
“It is important to recognize that we are far removed from the 19th and 20th centuries and that the norms, concepts, habits, responsibilities and realities of policing today have changed and developed dramatically.
“Of course, the functional roles and responsibilities of the police have changed. The types of crime they deal with are now wide and varied, so policing now requires more than just foot patrols and pursuit of suspects, but also the use of technical expertise and techniques for surveillance, crime Detect and resolve,” he said.
He also said that if the regulations were still in place, blanket restrictions on recruitment would only exclude a portion of the TT population.
“It ignores any purported expertise, potential ability and training of these potential candidates to assist in our anti-crime strategy in a country plagued by a surge in crime rates.
“This restriction cannot therefore be seen as compatible with the values and beliefs of our democratic way of life.”
Luchmiddle agreed.
She said the minimum height requirement has no bearing on a person’s ability to perform police work.
“This anachronistic policy illustrates why new and innovative leadership is urgently needed to transform the police department into a modern, technology-based, effective crime-fighting organization.”
Lucchinedier said the court’s ruling highlighted the need to transform police services using “the best talent and advanced technology”.
A challenge to the minimum height requirement for recruits was raised by a Williamsville man who was told he wasn’t tall enough to apply to become a police officer.
Renaldo Marajh will receive compensation and the judge said at the time the claim was made that he, 31, is still months away from being potentially disqualified due to his age. The age requirement for recruits is between 18 and 35 years old.
The judge said Maraj was also awarded rehabilitative damages because the regulation had a discriminatory impact on a large segment of the population based on height and gender.
“This breach cannot be ignored and cannot be allowed to continue.”
Marajh will receive a total of $400,000 in damages.
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