Dear Editor

I am not surprised the Commissioner of Police Vere Browne refused to respond to Alexandrina Wong’s concerns that rape victims and accused are being denied justice because used rape kits remain on ice. According to your newspaper it is a lack of government funding that has caused the problem.

However, regardless of whose fault it is, I am disappointed that as the Chief of Police Browne couldn’t say whether the problem exists at all, whether there are ongoing discussions/negotiations with government or any organisation for funding or whether he is tired of trying to negotiate.

I hope the media takes him to task for his seeming arrogance in his statement that he couldn’t comment because he didn’t hear Wong’s remarks for himself.

Does he really have to hear Wong to know what is happening with investigations led by the policemen and women under his command? If he does then tell me, why is he the commissioner again?

Come on, his excuse for not commenting sounds like a brush-off of the media’s queries but I hope OBSERVER Media does not let him get away with that.

As John Calvin Coolidge (the 30^th US president and lawyer) said, “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.” Please persist and ensure we the taxpayers of this country get the answers we need because all public service entities are accountable to the people, including the police force.

Police accountability involves holding both individual police officers, as well as law enforcement agencies, responsible for effectively delivering basic services of crime control and maintaining order, while treating individuals fairly and within the bounds of law.

Is it fair to any victim or accused to be denied justice? Is it fair that the commissioner could get away with silence on this matter? Is it fair government has allowed this to happen instead of properly allocating necessary funds to address crime and crime solving?