Police Service Commission members were yesterday sworn in at the Office of the President two months after the National Assembly approved the nominees to sit on it but there is no chairman.
Immediately after Harold Martin, Franchot Duncan-Clarke and Dennis Morgan took the oath of office before President Bharrat Jagdeo at the Office of the President the Head of State said that he and the Leader of the Opposition, Robert Corbin had agreed to go ahead with the swearing in of the three members to sit on the commission while they consult on the appointment of a chairman. Retired Deputy Police Commissioner, Ivan Crandon who was selected to sit on the committee was the President’s appointee to chair the commission. However, Crandon passed away last week leaving the commission without a head. The National Assembly in August had approved Crandon, Martin, Clarke and Morgan to sit on the commission. With the exception of Morgan the other three men were members of the last commission. Morgan himself is a former chairman of the commission.
Chairman of the appointive committee, PPP/C MP Gail Teixeira had reported to the National Assembly back in August that the committee had meaningfully consulted with the Police Association, the Association of Former Members of the Police Force, the National Commission on Law and Order (NCLO) and the National Executive of Community Policing Groups before arriving at its decision. She said these bodies appeared to it to represent the majority of members of the Police Force. The PNCR had objected to the NCLO being consulted on the selection of the commission members. The party did not support Morgan’s candidacy because of this. Other than Morgan the PNCR-1G had supported retired Assistant Police Commissioner, Henry Chester who also sat on the last commission. Chester was not re-elected and with the passing of Crandon it is felt that he might be drafted in as a replacement. The Police Service Commission is responsible for appointments and the promotion of police officers as well as taking disciplinary action against erring ranks
