Former acting commissioners of police, James Philbert and Stephen Williams have hit back at Gary Griffith who claimed their national awards were because of political favouritism.
The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Social and Welfare Association (TTPSSWA) also believes Griffith’s comments were in poor taste.
Gary Griffith who is himself a past head of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service had no congratulatory words for neither Stephen Williams nor James Philbert who yesterday received the Chaconia Medal Silver for their contributions to national security.
Instead, Griffith said, “The political selection of National Awards has now diluted their significance and made a mockery of these once-prestigious positions.”
In a media release, Griffith questioned what record of success they had to justify the awards.
“These awards appear to have been granted based solely on the fact that they held the post, albeit in an acting capacity, and that they might be the recipients of political favouritism. There seems to be no evidence of tangible achievements or performance metrics that would warrant such national recognition,” Griffith postulated.
Griffith added that it was also an insult to the over 30 police officers who lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic and the thousands of others who conducted their duties with what he called the utmost professionalism during a global crisis.
The former commissioner said it warrants a reassessment of how these awards are handed out.
But this did not sit well with former acting commissioner James Philbert. Initially reluctant to respond to Griffith, Philbert admitted the allegations put a damper on a day of celebration for him and his family.
“What I know about the Police Service is commissioners of police do not jump and bite up on commissioners back. This is strange conduct for someone who was a commissioner. What will he gain by this? I have been in the TTPS since 1967 and I have never seen a past police commissioner in the media bad-talking other commissioners.”
Philbert added that Griffith does not know anything about his 43 years in the TTPS.
“This is a strange and distasteful thing from Mr Griffith. If I stand up and do nothing for 15 years, Mr Griffith wouldn’t pass what I did,” he said.
Philbert also rubbished allegations of political connections.
“I don’t have anyone to give me a political favour. I don’t know who recommended me, I did not ask anyone to give me anything, I am going to receive it with honour because that is what my country appreciates me for.
“Let him say what he wants and enjoy himself. I am trying to avoid unnecessary bacchanal.”
Meanwhile, former acting commissioner Stephen Williams sought to point out what he described as the hypocrisy behind Griffith’s criticism.
He said when Griffith applied for the position of commissioner, his CV boasted of spearheading the Ministry of National Security at a time when Trinidad and Tobago recorded the lowest number of serious crimes in 31 years.
“When he published about his achievements in 2014, in relation to success and crime reduction, who was the sitting commissioner in 2014?” he asked Guardian Media.
Williams served as acting commissioner of police from 2012 to 2020.
He said by boasting about that achievement he was indeed singing the praises of the TTPS which Williams said he led at that time.
“He is taking things which he did not do and bigging up himself and then crying down somebody as not doing with the same information,” Williams added.
Williams also said that he led the police service in 2017 when there was the largest total firearms seizure with 1,064 guns coming off the streets.
“The second highest murder rate was recorded in 2019, who was commissioner in 2019?” he asked.
He, too, dismissed claims of political favouritism.
“I have never been aligned to PNM, UNC or any party, he knows that, and everyone knows that,” he added.
Police association defends
The TTPSSWA also stood in defence of Williams and Philbert.
Praising them as mentors in the field, president ASP Gideon Dickson said, “They distinguished themselves in different areas, Mr Philbert was more operational, and Mr Williams was more administrative and technical. Both would have had a significant impact even with the current labour force. We need to be able to take what good we can take from both gentlemen and inspire the next generation of police officers so we can continue to be a noble institution and continue to try to manage crime and criminality.”
Challenging Griffith’s assertion of political favouritism, Dickson argued, “If it was political favours then both men would have been confirmed in the position of Commissioner of Police ... The only one in that era who would have been confirmed as commissioner was Mr Griffith. So, we could look at that from the other side of the pendulum and say political favour was granted there.”