AG: Panel to begin interviewing police chief candidates

The Protective Services Commission (PSC) will soon be interviewing candidates to fill the post of Commissioner of Police Attorney General Dale Marshall said Friday, as the two top leaders of the Royal Barbados Police Force remain on the job.

He said he expects a recommendation from the PSC to follow soon after.

Both Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith and Deputy Commissioner Oral Williams were scheduled to retire months ago. But their appointments have been further extended, with Griffith set to continue until October 31 while Williams will retire on October 18.

“In relation to the selection of Commissioner of Police that office was advertised some months ago,” the Attorney General told journalists. “I have no lawful authority or responsibility for the PSC but my understanding is that interviews are scheduled for the very near future so that I expect that in the shortest possible time they’ll be able to make a recommendation as to who should take over the mantle of the Royal Barbados Police Force, but it is not a matter that requires any speculation.”

The AG stressed that the selection of the Commissioner of Police is in the hands of the PSC and not any minister’s.

Marshall said: “I certainly can’t say when the announcement will come or when it is going to be. There is a process that is followed for the appointment of Commissioners, for the appointments of Chief of Staff, for the appointments of senior public servants.

“We have set up a Protective Services Commission (PSC) whose responsibility it is, it’s not a ministerial responsibility, it’s the constitutionally bestowed responsibility of the Protective Services Commission to make the appointment of a new Commissioner of Police.

“The current Commissioner of Police continues in office until his retirement. He will not reach retirement age until November. The Prime Minister and I have had discussions with the leadership of the force and we have felt that it is important to have both Commissioner Griffith and Deputy Commissioner Williams stay on until they reach retirement age.”

“We feel that the level of skills of the individuals concerned are such that we want to retain them in the force for as much time as possible and therefore, we have asked them to stay on until in one case until the end of October and in the case of the Deputy Commissioner until October 18. There’s nothing unusual about that practice, it has happened before.”

Marshall said it meant both Griffith and Williams have no pre-retirement leave.

He said it was a common practice among public servants in Barbados to go on lengthy pre-retirement leave prior to their end of service.

Marshall said he had full confidence that a suitable candidate would be chosen as there was a wealth of experience and skill in the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF).

He said Government had prioritized training for senior members of the Force and pointed to the recent appointments of several Assistant Commissioners.

“We have a significant cadre of fine individuals who currently lead the force. One of the things that this administration has taken seriously is the question of training police officers. As we speak, five police officers are currently doing immersed in training with the Durham Constabulary in England.

“Our senior police officers have received very little training in recent years…the last administration fell down tremendously in that area, so we are now trying to fill a deficit but we are satisfied. We just appointed Assistant Commissioners, a cadre of fine officers so I think the leadership of the Force is going to be in very safe hands,” Marshall said. (RB)