Jacob: Third DCP appointment may happen soon

Acting Police Commissioner McDonald Jacob is hoping that the appointment of a third Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) may be finalised by the end of the September.

Since January, the police service has been operating with DCPs Erla Christopher and Wendell Williams, with a vacancy left behind by Joanne Archie who resigned in June.

Senior police have since questioned when the appointment of a third DCP will be confirmed.

In July a legal notice was laid in Parliament which stated that the President acting on recommendations from the Police Service Commission (PSC) nominated ACP Ramnarine Samaroo to act as DCP.

Speaking on Friday, Jacob said there were hopes that Samaroo would have been appointed in June but said the resumption of Parliament on September 12 meant that Samaroo's appointment could be finalised soon.

Samaroo has served as head of the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) and is currently the head of the north-central and northern divisions.

Asked about the functioning of the service with two DCPs, Jacob said the responsibilities of the vacant DCP post was shared among senior officers.

In September 2021 it was announced on the official police Twitter account that Pamela Schullera-Hinds would serve as DCP in charge of intelligence and investigations.

"The police service is quite dynamic so while we were waiting on it we were able to share responsibilities of the missing DCP, it was shared among myself as Commissioner and the two DCPs to keep things running effectively.

"That only came about because Ms (Pamela Schullera) Hinds went on vacation sometime in August so it was only about a two months gap that we had someone not acting in that space as the next DCP."