PHILIPSBURG: --- Several veteran and long standing police officers who have been waiting for their promotions are now peeved at the police management team whom they said are handpicking persons that are not qualified for top positions while officers of the force have been waiting for years to get their promotions.
Some of the officers spoke to SMN News on the condition of anonymity on Friday said that Jadira Gjisbertha, a scale 9 officer was chosen to take up a scale 12 position which was vacated by Pico Simmons who went on pension. The officers said that Gjisbertha will become the head of the fraud, narcotics and firearm department. "Here you have someone that will jump from scale 9 to 12 while there are other officers who cannot get their promotions even though they are in their position for years." The officers said that the Head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Richard York have been sitting in his positon for five years and to date he cannot get his right scale and salary.
They said York sits in that position for so many years with a scale 11while he was supposed to get scale 12 as a Department head. SMN News learnt that York had to take the Minister of Justice to court in order to get his salary and scale fixed.
They even said that the head of the detective department Denise Jacobs was on the committee that chose her friend Gjisbertha to apply for the position which she did and was chosen for the position even though she is only a scale 9 officer.
The officers said Ricard York took the Minister of Justice to court because not having the right scale has been affecting his benefits and ultimately his pension. Another officer that has been sitting for more than 5 years in his position and did not get that his right scale is Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson. The officers said that Henson is supposed to also move up to scale 12 because he is the head of the communications department since former Chief Inspector Johan Janchi Leonard vacated the position to enter the political arena. When SMN News contacted Henson on his predicament he said that he preferred not to speak about the issue because it will be arranged shortly.
The officers said while several officers got their promotions due to political influence many of them are still waiting for their positions. The officers said Head of the Philipsburg Patrol Division Randolph Bloieman got his position from former acting Minister of Justice Roland Tuitt with whom he has family ties. Officer Benjamin Gout was also a lucky officer to get his position when he became head of the Traffic Department while Carlyle Rogers is still waiting for his right scale and salary. Rogers was appointed head of the Simpson Bay Police Outpost but his salary and scale remained the same.
According to the officers the incoming Chief of Police Carl John is facing some issues with his screening because those that are responsible for the screening wants to screen John twice. They said that when John was informed about the situation he contested it because those responsible wants to re-screen John even after he is appointed Chief Commissioner of Police. John was supposed to take up the helm of KPSM since December 2014 when he was selected by the committee that did the selection process last year. However, the screening process is now taking place.
In an invited comment Chief Commissioner of Police Peter de Witte said that he sent several advices to the Ministry for the officers to get their scales and correct salary. De Witte said in the case of York he sent five advices, three of which was treated while York and another person file went missing. He said the same happened with Bloieman and Rogers. De Witte said Bloieman got his appointment scale and salary but Rogers did not because there was a mistake in the advice and that has been corrected and is now going through the process. De Witte further stated that the same applied to Henson, all of which he said will soon be regulated.
As for the appointment of Jadira Gjisbertha De Witte said he will not comment ongoing solicitation process. He said he has no knowledge on the screening of Acting Commissioner of Police Carl John and the only person that can say why the process was delayed is the Minister of Justice.
