Next year will see several senior officers of the T&T Police Service (TTPS) proceeding on pre-retirement leave and news faces emerging.
As a result, president of the Police Social and Welfare Association, Anand Ramesar, yesterday hoped for the promotion process to be quick.
Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Ramesar also sought to clarify that there was no incompetency issue among its membership.
“We do not have a list of the number of officers but it is a lot of them in the First Division that will be going on pre-retirement leave.
“The promotion process must be triggered so that the positions can be filled as soon as they become vacant and there are officers who are very competent to be promoted,” Ramesar added.
He also called on the acting Commissioner of Police, Stephen Williams, to secure a proper programme geared towards preparing officers for retirement.
He said he believed many officers proceeding on retirement did not know how to properly transition.
“This is a reality and the TTPS remains silent on it but the time has come for us to do something about it. Many police officers do not have other skills other than policing and in most cases when these officers retire they come to hang out at police stations for days, weeks, that turn into months and years.
“These persons fail to recognise that there is a great life in retirement and in the world of retirees,” Ramesar added.
On Monday, Senior Superintendent Johnny Abraham announced he was proceeding on pre-retirement leave from tomorrow.
Ramesar wished Abraham all the best for a job well done in the TTPS and urged him to enjoy the benefits of his retirement.
Ag Snr Supt Mc Donald Jacob will replace Abraham.
Jacob comes from the Criminal Investigations Department and Criminal Records Office (CID-CRO), Port-of-Spain.
Abraham’s leave continues until his 60th birthday, on October 15 next year. He was transferred to the Port-of-Spain Division last September from the Central Division and has over 38 years’ service.
A senior TTPS official told the T&T Guardian at least seven changes were made during a meeting yesterday at the Police Administration Building, Port-of-Spain, with the acting Commissioner of Police, Stephen Williams.
Communication manager of the TTPS, Ellen Lewis, told the T&T Guardian: “The Commissioner of Police today announced the transfer of several officers within the First Division which will take effect in January next year.
“The transfer of officers within the Police Service is a common practice and is done from time-to-time in the course of managing the Police Service.”
Lewis did not have the list of transfers but noted they occurred on a regular basis and were not usually published.
In July, the association challenged a recommendation from Williams for the Government to purchase the pre-retirement leave of First Division officers.
The association said then that Williams’ decision would have a negative impact on their members, whose chances of timely promotion would diminish if the senior officers were allowed to hold onto their post until their retirement.
Prime Minister Keith Rowley recently announced he had no intention of buying out leave of any public servant.
Changes
• Ag Snr Supt Mc Donald Jacob will replace Abraham as head of the Port-of-Spain Division. Jacob was last in charge of the Criminal Investigations Department, Criminal Records Office (CID-CRO), Port-of-Spain.
• ACP Vincel Edwards, former head of Homicide Bureau, has been transferred to the Criminal Gang Unit and Intelligence Unit. Supt Oswald Cudjoe now heads the Homicide Bureau.
• Ag Snr Supt Radcliffe Boxill, head of the North Eastern Division, will now replace Jacob, as head of the CID in Port-of-Spain.
• Ag Snr Supt Adeline St Louis-Pesnell from Port-of-Spain Division will now lead the North Eastern Division.
• Ag Snr Supt George Alsop (former supt) moves to the Court and Process branch.