Eustace: Police Commissioner should come from police force

A New Democratic Party (NDP) government led by Arnhim Eustace would not appoint a foreigner as commissioner of police or reduce the size of the civil service.{{more}}

Eustace outlined the NDP’s position in an interview with Kenton Chance of I Witness-News at the end of a vigil in Kingstown on Thursday, September 2, held to protest a meeting of the Boundaries Commission.

“That shocked me. Because I have not discussed anything about police. I am going to look within the ranks of the police force to get people to head the police force,” he said.

Eustace said some police officers had got their position because of their political affiliation and “not on the basis of their qualification or experience.”

He further said the top ranking members of the force were mostly from Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves’ North Central Windward constituency.

He said what exists in the constabulary is part of the victimization by Gonsalves’ Unity Labour Party (ULP) of persons who do not support them.

“The minute you start doing that, you are depriving people of their rights,” he said, adding that democracy in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has been “under treat for a long time now,” Eustace said.