The Movement for Social Justice is very concerned about matters surrounding the Office of the Commissioner of Police.
In a media release Friday afternoon, the MSJ claimed there is the issue of what it describes as the failure by the Police Service Commission to finalize its recommendations of the “merit list” prior to the contract of Gary Griffith coming to an end on August 17th.
The MSJ claimed this has resulted in the PSC appointing Mr. Griffith to act in the position of Commissioner of Police.
It said while there have been acting Commissioners on many occasions before, what is very unusual about this situation is that Mr. Griffith holds no substantive post in the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
The political party said in the past the PSC would have appointed a member of the senior ranks – Deputy Commissioner; Assistant Commissioner – to act.
It said in normal circumstances, when a person’s contractual period comes to an end and is not immediately renewed, that person leaves the position.
In June of this year, the Government laid in Parliament “Legal Notice 183 of 2021”.
The MSJ said this was supposedly meant to simplify the process by which the PSC would arrive at its merit list of candidates for the Commissioner of Police position, which is submitted to the President who then sends it to the Parliament for debate and decision as to which person on the list would be appointed as Commissioner of Police and/or Deputy COP.
Commenting on another matter, the MSJ said there is no constitutional or legal right of citizens to bear arms.
It said one may have the right to apply to own a firearm, but that does not give you the right to own one.
It said if that was the case then the Commissioner of Police would not have to approve the application, all that would be needed to get one legally is to fill out a form.
The MSJ also called for a very careful review of the policies for both the registering of companies to sell firearms and the issuing of firearm users licenses.
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