Police Commissioner Dr Carl Williams is moving along the right path with the announcement on Tuesday at the Jamaica Observer Press Club that, following the passing out parade of over 300 new policemen and women on Friday of next week, all recruits wanting to join the force will have to take a polygraph test before being formally enrolled into training.

This has been a long time in the making and Dr Williams is to be commended for finally implementing this procedure. We believe that using polygraph as part of the vetting process for recruits will go a long way in ensuring that the police force admits into its ranks, in the main, those young men and women who are clean, qualified, and willing to serve.

We do not subscribe to the view that by using polygraph the police will solve the problem of recruiting miscreants. No system in the world can ensure that those being hired all carry pure hearts and minds and have not been blighted by the pervasive and seemingly all-conquering mentality of getting to their destinations without the benefit of hard work and commitment.

However, we believe that by using polygraph, the risks of recruiting undesirables will be significantly reduced. This is what is required from the start if the police force is to be cleansed of corrupt members who, by their actions, sully the name of the organisation and make it difficult for the police to develop worthwhile and long-lasting relationships with the people of this country.

It is not a short-term measure and should never be viewed as such. Instead, the use of polygraph at the level of recruits is but a step in dealing with the inherent problem of corruption and all its attendant maladies in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

So, we, without hesitation, give our support to the police commissioner, but strongly proffer the view that the use of polygraph should not be only at the level of recruits.

It is well known that rank and file members of the police force (constables to inspectors) have to re-enlist every five years. While we acknowledge that polygraphs are used in special cases during this process, we are urging the police commissioner to make it mandatory for all at that level.

If, at that point, the process of internal cleansing is not further buttressed, whatever gains made at the level of recruits might be severely affected, if not wiped out. Truth be told, the majority of young police constables are well-intentioned and want to solve all the problems of the world during their training and formative months and years as actual policemen and women. The problems begin when they start to interact with the more seasoned members, some of whom lead them astray, oftentimes into the distasteful web of corruption.

Consolidating the process of vetting at all levels, where necessary, will have a lasting effect on curbing wanton corruption, which we all know exists in our police force.

We are therefore urging Dr Williams and his team to move with haste in making the necessary administrative adjustments for this to be done.

The ball of effectively dealing with corruption in your beloved JCF, Dr Williams, is now in your court.