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alexk
Guest
After last week’s approval of Police Commissioner-designate Gary Griffith, the Police Service Commission is now following up on requirements regarding confirmed appointments for Deputy Commissioners.
And according to notification from the former PSC chairman on the matter, two people top the list for these posts—DCP Deodat Dulalchan and DCP Harold Phillip, in that order.
Notification for both from the PSC was sent by the office of the President to the Clerk of the House of Representatives on January 26, 2018. But this remained pending while the issue of CoP was spotlighted.
Dulalchan was the only person whose name was submitted by the PSC for both commissioner and deputy commissioner.
On Monday, Government votes approved Griffith as Police Commissioner-designate. The Opposition abstained from voting. Griffith will succeed acting CoP Stephen Williams, who leaves September 19.
In the Police Service’s organisational structure there are three deputy posts. One was held by Williams (now acting CoP) and the others by current DCPs Dulalchan and Phillip.
They are, however, acting in their posts, T&T Police Service officials said. Confirmed postings must now be made for the two DCP posts. A third has to be made after Williams’ departure to fill the DCP position he held, they added.
Dulalchan and Phillip had both applied for the deputy’s position, but were ranked first and second for the CoP post on the PSC’s merit list of four nominees for CoP.
Government, in taking issue with the PSC’s process, rejected both, saying they hadn’t applied for the CoP post. Government also rejected the third-ranked Williams, who’d also applied for the post, taking issue with his past performance, before eventually accepting Griffith.
The PSC last Friday said since the matter of CoP is now settled, they’re focusing on the issue of a deputy.
However, it was noted that the merit of order list was done by the PSC under the previous chairmanship of Dr Maria Gomes and a new chairman, Bliss Seepersad, was only appointed in April. Commission officials said there were staff changes within the PSC and therefore information was being followed up regarding the matter of DCP to ensure procedures were in train.
The January 26 letter on the DCP notifications which was sent to the Clerk of the House from the President’s office—then former President Anthony Carmona—stated the PSC had issued notification for Dulalchan and Phillip for the post of Deputy CoP. Dossiers for both were sent to the Parliament.
On that same date, similar communication was sent to the Clerk by the President’s Office, stating the PSC had issued notification for Dulalchan for the post of CoP also.
In a January 24, 2018 letter to Carmona on the notifications, then PSC chairman Dr Maria Gomes noted, “The names of the highest graded candidates on the Order of Merit list for the office of Deputy Commissioners are Deodat Dulalchan and Harold Phillip. Please note Mr Deodat Dulalchan is also the highest graded candidate on the order of merit list for the position of Commissioner of Police.”
PSC officials said headway on the matter of a deputy CoP should be soon, since the appointment of a CoP is ongoing.
SPECIAL SELECT COMMITTEE (SSC) REPORT INCLUDED
• 54 applications received by the KMPG recruiting firm
• 50 were deemed eligible; four deemed ineligible since they didn’t satisfy the basic qualification requirements outlined in the 2015 notice governing the process.
• 20 were selected by the PSC based on a passing grade of 60 per cent in Preliminary Stage Screening to participate in Stage 1 of the assessment firm’s process.
• 12 selected by the PSC and participated in Stage 2. Of the 12, four were deemed suitable for the position of CoP and seven deemed suitable for the position of deputy only. One candidate was deemed equally suitable for both positions.
• Also noted: two tables containing the names of recommended candidates were submitted to the PSC. One table identified five candidates deemed suitable for Commissioner only; the other identified eight candidates suitable for deputy only.
• There was one candidate’s name common to both tables.
• PSC established two Order of Merit Lists - one for (CoP), the other for DCP.
• Application forms revealed candidates were asked to indicate whether they were applying for CoP or DCoP or both.
• In its 43-page report, the SSC felt the way the entire process was conducted by the PSC “was defective, unreliable and may expose PSC allegations of arbitrariness and lack of transparency.” It recommended Section 123 (2) of the Constitution on the issue be urgently reviewed to establish well-defined guidelines for selection of a CoP and deputy CoP.