By Prior Beharry
RETIRED deputy police commissioner Vincel Edwards is no longer interested in becoming a member of the Police Service Commission (PolSC).
A release from the Office of the President on Friday stated:
Her Excellency Paula-Mae Weekes O.R.T.T., President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago has today withdrawn the Notification of Dr Vincel Edwards as a nominee for Member of the Police Service Commission.
Dr Edwards who was recently conferred with a Doctorate of Philosophy in Law from the University of Wolverhampton, has stood down in order to allow Her Excellency the widest consideration in re-constituting the five-member Commission.
The legislation requires that the members be persons qualified and experienced in the disciplines of law, finance, sociology or management.
After suitable, willing candidates are identified, the President will consult with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition before issuing a Notification to Parliament which is subject to affirmative resolution of the House of Representatives.
As each Notification is approved, Her Excellency will appoint the Member to the Police Service Commission.
Edwards’ nomination on the PolSC is listed on the order paper of the Lower House on Monday which is also Budget Day.
It stated, “The Notification of Her Excellency, the President in respect of the nomination of Mr Vincel Edwards, for appointment as a Member of the Police Service Commission.”
President Weekes nominated Edwards to the PolSC since June 10, 2020.
The commission currently has no members following the resignation of its chairman Bliss Seepersad and three other commissioners – Courtney McNish, Dr Susan Craig-James and Roger Kawalsingh – over the past two weeks.
Their resignations come as a new commissioner of police is to be appointed since Gary Griffith’s contract came to an end on August 17.
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said on Monday that Edwards was 16th on the merit list for police commissioner when the position was vacant in 2018.
As a police officer, Edwards investigated the Day of Total Policing – the unauthorised co-ordinated roadblocks across the country on March 23, 2015. His conclusions led to no consequences for the hundreds of police officers that took part in the operation.
