The Police Welfare Association (PWA) of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force held a meeting earlier today and has sought an audience with Commissioner Colin John.
The meeting followed the revocation of permission granted earlier this week by the commissioner for the Welfare Association to host a two-day retreat (Thursday 7th February and Friday 8th February, 2019).
The PWA had written to the police commissioner on the matter of the retreat and in a letter dated February 4th, 2019, sought permission for economist and former Leader of the Opposition and immediate past president of the New Democratic Party (NDP) Arnhim Eustace, MP for East Kingstown, to deliver a lecture at the retreat on the topic ‘Pension Reform and its Implications for the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force’ on Friday 8th February.
At the same time, the said letter invited the Commissioner of Police to deliver a lecture the retreat on the topic ‘The Impact of Working Effectively Without the Necessary Equipment’ on Thursday 7th February.
A hand-written note, on the said document, purported to have been signed by the commissioner, said that the invitations were not “approved” nor “sanctioned” by him. The hand-written note also stated that the proposed lecture by Eustace could result in it being politically-tainted. The response also stated that the commissioner would not be to accept the invitation to lecture on the selected topic.
In a later dated February 5th, 2019, the commissioner informed chairman of the Police Welfare Association station sergeant Brenton Smith that the permission granted previously for the two-day retreat was revoked.
“The revocation is as a result of the stalemate that arose during a meeting that was held between us earlier today,” the letter stated.
In a letter addressed to the police commissioner and dated February 6th (Wednesday), the PWA applied for permission to have an emergency meeting of its executive on February 7th (today) at the PWA’s office at 10.00 a.m.
Latest information received earlier this afternoon was that the emergency meeting was held and permission was sought to have an audience with the commissioner. Just prior to publishing this news item, information received said the executive had had no response yet from the commissioner.
Why is it that many times letters to persons/organisations have to be made public when they(the letter/s) have absolutely nothing to do with the public.