Acting CoP gets six more months

Acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams and Deputy Commissioners Simeon Alexis and Raymond Craig have had their terms in office extended by six months.

The Police Service Commission made this announcement yesterday after a statutory meeting at its Tunapuna office, where the extension was unanimously agreed to.

Williams, 50, a qualified attorney with 33 years in the Police Service, was appointed to act on August 7, 2012, after the resignation of former CoP Dwayne Gibbs, which took effect on July 7.

Gibbs, 57, a former superintendent of police from Alberta, Canada, was selected by the People’s Partnership Government as the CoP in July 2010.

Gibbs and Deputy Commissioner Jack Ewatski both resigned last year, with more than a year remaining on their three-year contracts.

Also arising out of yesterday’s meeting, the commission revealed that the Director of Personnel Administration had begun the process of acquiring funds from the Ministry of Finance to hire a firm to begin the process of selecting a CoP and deputy CoPs.

On Tuesday, chairman of the commission Prof Ramesh Deosaran said there were complications surrounding a permanent appointment to the post of CoP.

He said the commission had to wait for the Service Commissions Department to advertise and select a firm to select, interview and assess applicants.

Short-listed applicants will then be referred to the Police Service Commission before any recommendations are made to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the Cabinet, and then Parliament.

However, Deosaran said proposals would soon be put forward  to shorten this period, because it was not beneficial to the public to endure such a costly and protracted delay in the appointments.

The proposal is being drafted by a multi-sectoral review team set up a year ago.

That team comprises the Attorney General, Public Administration Minister Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan, National Security Minister Jack Warner, chairman of the Law Reform Commission Samraj Harripaul, SC, Chief Parliamentary Counsel Ian Mac Intyre, SC, Opposition Leader Keith Rowley, who is being represented by MP Donna Cox and Deosaran, who was invited to be chairman.

Deosaran and Williams could not be reached for comment yesterday, as calls to their cellphones went unanswered.