The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Social and Welfare Association (TTPSSWA) has distanced itself from a lawsuit being mounted by some police officers over their failure to be promoted.
In an official statement released today—signed by the Association’s president Ag. Inspector Gideon Dixon—the TTPSSWA says its Executive has not endorsed the court action, and hints that it may be premature.
“We would like to emphatically state that the actions taken by individuals, including high ranking Association officials yesterday Re: Injunction, was not endorsed by the Association’s Executive,” the Association’s president says in the release.
While offering congratulations to those police officers who were confirmed to a higher rank in the Police Service, Ag Inspector Dixon says the Association’s Executive does not support the legal action, “because we said that it was not in the best interest of the general membership”.
The police union boss also gave assurances that he and the Executive respect due process, as well as the right of those individuals to exercise their legal options.
He added: “The Executive offers words of consolation to the officers who were left disappointed yesterday, Tuesday 22 December 2020, and would like to say that we believe that confirmation is inevitable, as the process was fair, transparent and accurate.”
An injunction filed by 29 officers who are challenging the Order of Merit list, stopped the planned promotion of 39 sergeants to the rank of inspector this week.
In addition, Tobago police officers who were recently screened for promotion to the rank of Inspector, also have complained about the evaluation process for promotion, saying it was rife with inconsistencies, biased and in breach of established promotion policies. They have thrown their support behind the injunction which stopped Tuesday’s formal swearing-in ceremony.
Last week, on Wednesday 16 December 2020, some 91 police sergeants were promoted to the rank of inspector.
