Police association: Hinds right, Griffith is a civilian

PRESIDENT of the Police Social and Welfare Association Insp Gideon Dickson agrees with National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds that former police commissioner Gary Griffith is now a civilian.

In aphone interview with Newsday on Wednesday, Dickson said Griffith's acting appointment was on the authority of the Police Service Commission (PSC), which had the authority to remove that acting position.

"Acting is not a prelude to confirmation. If you are acting and you go on leave, you revert to your substantive position. In the case of Griffith, he has no rank to fall back on."

On Monday Hinds told the Express Griffith was now a civilian, since the PSC had ordered him not to return to duty.

Griffith was appointed acting commissioner from August 17 to whenever a commissioner is appointed. He then took no-pay leave from September 6-20.

On September 17 the PSC told him not to resume duty, which led to his suing the PSC demanding that it cancel the order and reinstate him as acting Police Commissioner.

The lawsuit was heard on Tuesday and adjourned to next Monday.

On Tuesday the police said Mc Donald Jacob, who had acted as Police Commissioner since Griffith took leave, had had his acting position extended until October 15.

Dickson added that the PSC, police and population all recognise one person as the acting commissioner, and that person is Jacob.

On Monday Griffith also alleged that there is a plot between police officers and government officials to have him removed from office.

Responding to that, Dickson said such accusations did not augur well for the police service.

"The association is here to protect the image of the organisation. Statements of that nature are troubling and worrisome.

"Anyone with such information should take it to the relevant authorities, the Police Complaints Authority, the Professional Standards Bureau, the Anti-Corruption Investigative Bureau and the Police Complaints Unit."

Dickson added that such accusations are demoralising to police officers, who have been working tirelessly, investigating and charging their own for various offences.

"Such reckless statements take away from the image of the police service."