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alexk
Guest
Despite twice being rejected for the substantive post of Police Commissioner by Parliament, Stephen Williams, the man who has been acting in the post for almost the last six years, has signalled his intention to now proceed on pre-retirement leave.
Williams is scheduled to go on vacation in two months’ time in preparation for retirement in 2020. August 7 will make it six years since he has been acting as CoP following the retirement of former top cop Canadian Dwayne Gibbs.
On Friday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley piloted the latest notification of Williams for the CoP post. The Government then rejected the notification.
More than 10 years earlier on July 4, 2008, Williams also had his notification for the post rejected by a margin of 22-10 in the House of Representatives.
Contacted by the Sunday Guardian yesterday on the latest decision by Parliament, Williams said: “They made a choice and I have no difficulties in whatever choices they made.”
However, Williams said he will be going off on vacation in the second week of September with plans to retire. But he believes he has served the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service well and will continue to do so.
“I have not stopped doing what I am supposed to do. I am operating as a police officer and I operate and distinguish myself as a professional police officer,” Williams said.
“I have been doing that from day one and it has taken me to lead the police service.”
He challenged anyone to deny this.
Williams joined the TTPS when he was 18-years-old and has been in the organisation for the past 39 years. He said he had regional and international recognition in policing, which not many police officers can point to having. Williams was admitted to the bar in T&T in 1995 and has several post-graduate certification in policing.
Meanwhile, Williams said he will always abide by the law when it comes to promotions within the TTPS.
Last year while promotions were planned an injunction was granted preventing him from promoting 75 police corporals to the rank of sergeant. The matter was taken before Justice Margaret Mohammed by attorneys representing 12 corporals who were denied promotion.
The officers were Audie Moona, Jerry London, Curt Douglas, Rene Katwaroo, Ramweshwar Gopaul, Darryl Dedier, Wrenwick Theophilus, Jimmy Marcano, Dirk John, Anslem Knott and Terrence Salandy.
But on Friday that injunction was lifted by Justice Joan Charles.
Yesterday, Williams said he read of the injunction being lifted but said he had not as yet seen official court correspondence on the issue. However, he said the country and officers could rest assured whatever the court decides with respect to the issue he will abide by the decision.