Editor,

THE Kingdom of Tonga can now say goodbye to a transparent, publicly trusted and efficiently run Police Ministry when Commissioner Chris Kelley leaves on Friday 5th, August 2011.

From my own experience I would like to publicly state that before Commissioner Kelley headed Tonga Police I made a complaint to the police station and the police did not even bother to follow it up and get back to me though I returned to check on my complaint three other times. A few years after Commissioner Kelley was at the helm of Tonga's Police I made a complaint by phone to the police headquarters and the police were at my door in about 15 minutes and they caught the would be burglar in less than half an hour after I had given them a description of the individual! The criminal was then charged and has since been taken to court and prosecuted! As far as I can recollect the Tonga Police force has never been so prompt and efficient . . . Ever!!

I have read the rubbish in previous local newspapers from police officers in the force saying that many individuals inside the police force believe that Commissioner Kelley plays favourites in who he promotes and coupled with other bogus reasons as to why he is not suitable for the top job, but if his favourites are the ones who actually do the job the best, while then that person is my favourite to be promoted too! No wonder the police in my latest experience with them do their job with vigor. It is because they know they will be rewarded for doing a good job! And am I 150% for meritocracy! I know they will not be working hard anymore though. Going back to the good ol' old boys club way of doing things in the Tonga police force means only those who have the many idle years under their belt get promoted never mind how inefficient and incompetant they are. Seniority based promotions over meritocracy based promotions leads to an organization becoming more and more mediocre over time.

Thank you Minister of Police for effectively pushing backward what was splendid progress and a successful reformation of the Tonga police force. Does the PM and cabinet really support this retrogression? Who is feeding cabinet information on these police issues? 'Ofa pe 'oku 'ikai ko ha taha 'oku uku 'umea 'i he mata vai!

I'll be back,

Daniel K. Fale
mauitekelangi [at] gmail [dot] com