Two DCP posts vacant as Williams takes pre-retirement leave

As of Monday, there are two vacant Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) posts, as Wendell Williams has gone on pre-retirement leave.

Williams was appointed to act as DCP when the President submitted a notification in December 2021.

He previously served as the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in charge of central intelligence.

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

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

Samaroo, who served as head of the Professional Standards Bureau and more recently as the ACP for the Northern Division, is now the ACP in charge of administration.

Speaking with Newsday in September, acting Police Commissioner McDonald Jacob said there had been hopes that Samaroo would be appointed in June, but his appointment may come soon with the resumption of Parliament.

On Wednesday Parliament passed a motion to approve a notification from the President to approve a nomination from the commission for ACP Erla Christopher to head the police service.

Officers in the police public information unit confirmed Williams is on pre-retirement leave, and acting appointments would take place "in the not too distant future."

Contacted for comment on Thursday, a senior police officer said he was optimistic the process of appointing a DCP was going ahead as planned and was confident the PSC was doing its job.

"It's a short appointment, so Ms Christopher will still be serving as the DCP.

"For now there is someone with the relevant qualifications to act as DCP on standby.

"I think the PSC has been doing their job and I think Mr Jacob is doing his part as well, so the process is about 90 per cent complete, and we hope soon we'll have a DCP."

But another senior officer said the issue of acting appointments was a challenge for the service,as it frustrated the process by having officers act in positions two ranks above their own.

"As a senior officer I don't feel too good about that. We have situations where people in the rank of superintendent are acting as ACPs.

"This has complicated the promotion system, because people are acting in ranks higher than their substantive post, and the authorities are just not confirming them."

Newsday e-mailed the PSC for more information on how many DCP posts were vacant as of Thursday.

Officials from the commission's public education department acknowledged receipt of the questions but provided no answers.