Jacob's DCP nomination approved in Opposition's absence

NATIONAL Security Minister Stuart Young on Friday joined his parliamentary colleagues in condemning the Opposition's boycott of the House of Representatives. He did so as he opened debate on a motion to approve a notification of President Paula-Mae Weeks of McDonald Jacob's nomination to be appointed as a deputy police commissioner.

Young said Jacob was the first person on the merit list and a career police officer. Also nominated by the Police Service Commission to be appointed as deputy police commissioners were Supt Andre Norton and Special Operations Response Team (SORT) head Insp Mark Hernandez. No motions to approve their nominations were listed on Friday's House Order Paper.

Looking at the empty opposition benches across the aisle, Young said, "One would have thought that an important decision such as the present, the Opposition would have found themselves here today."

He declared, "Whatever is the reason that they are attempting to give to the population of the complete dereliction of their duty. The sensible in our population, the right-thinking and civic-minded citizens of our population will see through it and make their own judgement call."

Young reminded Government MPs that the population already did when the UNC lost the general elections in 2015 and 2020 respectively. He observed that Jacob is currently an acting deputy police commissioner has been an exemplar during his career in the police service. Young listed a certificate in project management from the University of the West Indies (UWI), a certificate in criminology from UWI's School of Continuing Studies and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of London amongst Jacob's academic achievements.

He recalled his first meeting with Jacob was in 2015 in his capacity as Port of Spain North/ St Ann's MP, when Job was chairing an outreach programme in Boissiere Village which is located in the constituency. Young said his next professional interaction with Jacob was as national security minister when he co-ordinated a swift police response to an incident at a church in another constituency.

He also said Jacob has played a pivotal role in improving the analysis of ballistics and the development of an intelligence database in relation to it. Young recalled that Jacob came to him two years ago with an idea and a proposal "to clear the backlog with respect to ballistics and forensics issues with ballistics."

With support from Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith, Young said those efforts led to the creation of "a ballistics recovery unit for the police service" as well as specialist advice and training from the United Nations and the United Kingdom.

As an acting deputy commissioner, Young said Jacob led investigations into the Drugs Sou Sou matter and other investigations "which are currently attracting attention."