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Immediate dismissal for ranks charged with certain offences
Police Commissioner, Seelall Persaud
Police ranks, who are charged for serious offences, will face immediate dismissal from the Force.
This announcement was made by Police Commissioner, Seelall Persaud, during an address at the Force’s anniversary award ceremony.
The move is being seen as intensifying efforts to rid the force of rogue cops, a process started by newly appointed Minister of National Security, Khemraj Ramjattan.
Previously, police ranks placed before the courts would be interdicted from duty and receive half their salary until the end of their legal matter, when they would draw down on the accumulated other half which sometimes amounts to hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.
They are in most cases reinstated and continue to work as police ranks.
But according to Commissioner Persaud those days are over.
“You are charged and go before the court for certain types of offences, corruption and some other types relating to excessive force and deliberate criminal activity….simultaneously with going to court, you are losing the job,” the Commissioner declared.
“So it’s not a half salary now and then cash in on the other half five, six years after…It’s that you immediately have to look for another job to pay your lawyers and everybody else,” he added.
Of course, this will mean strengthening the internal investigation arm of the force-the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).
The commissioner disclosed that come August 11 , the United States of America will be providing assistance towards revamping the OPR’s operations.
Persaud said that recently the police force expanded the strength of the OPR, selecting different experts who will be placed into that unit.
The revamping will involve training of officers, including those who operate in complaint offices in the various police divisions.
“So we will make the OPR more effective so that they can now start targeting different types of unprofessional behaviour in the Force,” the Commissioner stated.
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