Top cop applicant takes Police Service Commission to court over selection process

AN APPLICANT for the post of Commissioner of Police is challenging the selection process used by the Police Service Commission (PSC).

Newsday understands attorneys for acting Senior Supt Anand Ramesar filed legal proceedings in the High Court challenging the selection process after he failed to advance to the interview stage. He is challenging the commission's failure to provide him with reasons.

The matter is expected to come up for hearing on Friday before Justice Joan Charles.

Ramesar, who unsuccessfully applied for the job three years ago, applied again in July. He has 21 years of service and has a master’s degree in criminology and criminal justice. He was also the president of the Police Service Welfare Association.

The substantive three-year term of current acting Commissioner Gary Griffith ended on August 17.

Legal Notice 183 sets out the shortened selection process for the appointment of commissioner and deputy commissioner.

The commission has first to conduct a recruitment process, inviting applications for the positions. It must then select the most suitable candidates for assessment  and ensure  they are subjected to security vetting and professional vetting. It then has to do the assessment, with regard to the candidates’ qualifications, a medical examination report, security, and professional vetting report and has to take into account all information on the candidates and establish an order of merit list.

The commission then submits to the President the names on the order of merit list in accordance with the procedure set out in section 123 of the Constitution.

The legal notice also says where either the post of the commissioner or deputy commissioner is vacant, or about to become vacant, the commission may submit to the President a list of suitably qualified persons from amongst the ranks of the service, including those on contract or previously on contract, as nominees to act in the offices of commissioner or deputy commissioner, pending the conclusion of the selection process.

The PSC, led by chairman Bliss Seepersad, has already completed all the interviews and six applicants are said to have been selected as finalists. The merit list is almost complete.

After the list is sent to the Office of the President, it is then forwarded to the Prime Minister, who takes it to Parliament for debate and affirmative resolution.

Parliament is expected to resume in September after the August recess.

In July this year, the Parliament amended the legislation to simplify the process by which the commissioner and deputy commissioners are selected.

The new process does not require the post to be advertised internationally or  a recruitment firm hired.