Port of Spain – Former commissioner of police Gary Griffith has stated that he is now interested in becoming the prime minister of the twin-island republic.
In a statement on Friday, Griffith said that he is no longer interested in the post of commissioner as the new Police Service Commission (PSC) has changed the criteria for the selection of a new commissioner to now only consider career police officers.
“If this was done to satisfy the political will of [Prime Minister] Keith Rowley and [Minister of National Security] Fitzgerald Hinds, . . . , let me say that these efforts were not warranted, since I’ve long moved on and I’m now fully focused on the office Keith Rowley now holds,” said Griffith in a statement sent to media houses and posted on Facebook.
He lamented that the new PSC’s move ignored the many achievements under his tenure, and debarred highly qualified and capable individuals like him from leading the police.
The criteria are now more specific with regard to policing experience, training and the nature of master’s degrees candidates must have.
According to Griffith, the shift neglected international precedents.
“Jamaica has a member of their Defence Force heading their police. New York City doesn’t even allow serving members of their police department to be Commissioners . . . .
“But the most egregious aspect of this new move by the PSC, however, is that it ignores the will of the people who saw what someone from outside the service could do in reducing crime by record numbers, and who made them feel safe and secure from the tyranny that they now face daily from the criminals in our midst.
“This is why as I focus on my future service to Trinidad and Tobago, I want to assure that any government that I will be a part of will be one of inclusion, empowering citizens and transforming the country in ways never before seen.” (CMC)
