The police force has been investigated for several things lately, chief among them corruption. However there seems to be an emerging problem of irresponsibility that needs urgent attention.

The lead story of last Wednesday's STAR reported that investigations are being done to determine how some of the $800,000 confiscated by the police in a case has been replaced with counterfeit and photocopied money.

Then in The Gleaner on Thursday, the lead story reported that improper handling of some guns given to the police for safe keeping by licensed firearm holders has left them with at least 40 weapons, for whom they do not know the specific owners.

Both situations are unacceptable and suggest that there needs to be better management systems in place for material collected for evidence and for safe keeping.

Whether the counterfeit money that has been found among money taken for evidence was put in before or after it was seized, is to be determined by the investigation. However there does not seem to be any clear system because the police cannot say clearly that this is what we got and this is what happened to it.

People should be able to feel confident that something collected for evidence is not tampered with in any way.

Mistakes may occur and things will get lost and misplaced, but two similar reports a day apart does little to reassure the public or win its confidence. One only hopes that these situations will push the police hierarchy to encourage greater responsibility among policemen as they try to restore trust and faith in the organisation.