Time running out for 56 police inspectors, who say they may be forced to retire at 55 if they are not allowed to sit a promotion exam and be elevated to the first division.
The inspectors, who were on an order of merit list way back in 2008, are crying discrimination and claiming they are being denied their right to have their assessment for promotion completed.
ASP Joanne Archie, the police public relations officer, is among those listed for promotion.
But acting Commissioner Stephen Williams said there is a process to be followed, and based on the outcome of several court actions, the police are now in a position to move forward with that task, which has already started.
Attorney Sunil Gopaul-Gosine, acting on behalf of 11 of the officers, said the inordinate delay has already resulted in several officers who failed to move on to the first division having to retire at the mandatory age of 55. Others had died while waiting for this promotion and several more were close to retirement age, he said.
At a news conference at his Keate Street, San Fernando, office on Tuesday Gopaul-Gosine said if these officers are promoted they will be able to assume first-division status, enjoy greater benefits and retire at a later age. As it stands now, he said, if the assessment is not done soon, many of his clients will be forced into early retirement.
The attorney said his clients believe they are being severely prejudiced.
CoP: exam soon
CoP Williams explained that the initial delay had to do with two court actions, one preventing the promotion for the 2008 and 2012 merit lists, and a second in which the court favoured the officers from the 2008 batch who challenged the first action on the basis that their promotion should not be blocked by an injunction.
He said the injunction had nullified the process, but in light of the latter decision, the TTPS had engaged a company to do fresh assessments, and to identify and import new books on management and policing, as the books given before the court action were no longer useful.
Williams said the officers would have a period to study the content of the books, in areas like standing orders, rules and regulations, in preparation for a written examination. Once they pass that exam, the candidates will be interviewed for promotion.