Police officers want answers to questionable promotions

Police officers of the Dominica Police Force continue to challenge the process of appointments and promotion.

Jefferson Drigo, the Chairman of the Police Welfare Association (PWA) has written to Police Chief Daniel Carbon demanding explanations why he has not been promoted to the rank of corporal despite acting in that post successfully on several occasions.

In early April, police officer Philbert Bertrand challenged the decision of the Police Service Commission (PSC) to bypass him for promotion. Bertrand has asked the court to grant him leave for Judicial Review and for an administrative order.

Bertrand became a policeman on February 25, 1981 and during that time, he says, he has performed creditably everywhere he was posted.

Drigo is also enquiring about recent appointments in the police service.

In a letter dated April 11, 2017 from lawyer J. Gildon Richards, Drigo, who became a police officer in January 1997, is taking issue with the appointments of nine constables to the rank of corporal via Force Order 14 of 2017 dated April 8, 2017.

Presently, he is stationed at the Coulibistrie police station where he is acting corporal.

Drigo says that he is disappointed that his name was not among a list of nine constables who were promoted.

"I am disappointed, distressed and dismayed and request an explanation in respect of a list of appointments on promotion from the rank of constable to the rank of corporal, recently made by you as a delegate of the Police Service Commission," the letter states.

Richards said that Drigo has undertaken military training at an introductory level, criminal and financial investigations and holds a diploma in personnel management from Cambridge International College, London.

Drigo contends that the officers who were promoted are junior to him, less academically and technically qualified, less productive and less experienced; they were also of lower levels of fitness, discipline, investigative knowledge and ability and professional commitment.

"My client therefore, believes that you, having considered his application and being knowledgeable of his true potential and preparedness for leadership in the rank of corporal must appreciate his dismay at your exclusion of his name from the list of nine constables promoted by your said published decision," Richards wrote.

The letter, copied to the police service commission (PSC), secretary to the cabinet, chief establishment officer and the secretary of the PWA is asking Chief Daniel Carbon to provide information on the "process" by which he appointed or promoted the nine officers ahead of Drigo.

Chief Carbon was asked to respond to the letter on or before April 20, 2017.