PSC: No discussion about police vetted units

THE Police Service Commission (PSC) said it has received no proposals from anyone regarding the creation of vetted units to remove rogue officers from the police.

In an e-mailed statement to Newsday on Monday in response to questions on the matter, the PSC said, "The members of the commission, as other members of the public, have noted the comments (about vetted units) in the public domain."

The PSC added, "No information on the proposal has been submitted to the commission. As a consequence, the commission has not engaged in any discussion on the matter."

The Prime Minister first spoke about the units at a PNM political meeting in San Fernando on July 15.

Dr Rowley also raised the matter again on July 16 during a National Security Council (NSC) meeting at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann's.

On July 18, Police Service Social and Welfare Association (PSSWA) president ASP Gideon Dickson rejected the idea.

Dickson said units to vet officers already existed within the police. He identified them as the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

Dickson, however, did not disagree with Rowley's comments about rogue elements in the police.

But he believed police continued to be unfairly singled out in that regard.

Former PSC chairman Prof Ramesh Deosaran and attorney Martin George also raised questions about Rowley's proposal to establish the units.

Deosaran said, "It is not a simple matter of forming another investigative and oversight unit without considering the role of the PSB, PCA (Police Complaints Authority) and even the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)."

He said the matter should also be carefully considered in respect of the powers granted to the CoP by Section 123 of the Constitution and the Police Service Act.

Section 123 (1) gives the PSC the power to discipline and remove officers from the police service.

Under Section 123 (2), the PSC is forbidden to act against any police officer "on the grounds of any act done or omitted to be done by him in the exercise of a judicial function conferred upon him unless the Judicial and Legal Service Commission concurs therein."

George, a former PSC member, was concerned about the increased pay proposed for officers in the units Rowley referred to.

He believed this could increase corruption in the police instead of reducing it.

Former CoP Gary Griffith and the Opposition UNC also rejected the idea of vetted units as proposed by Rowley.