T&T Parliament approves appointment of first female police commissioner
The candidacy of Deputy Police Commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher to become Trinidad and Tobago’s first female police commissioner was unanimously approved by the Trinidad and Tobago Parliament on Friday.
Following a brief debate, all 36 members of Parliament present voted in favor of electing Christopher to the top office, succeeding Gary Griffith, whose three-year term concluded on August 18, 2018. There are 41 MPs in Parliament, and the Opposition Leader, Kamla Persad Bissessar, was absent when the vote was taken.
Griffith was one of numerous individuals who applied for the position, but the Police Service Commission (PSC) stated Harewood-Christopher was the top contender.
During the debate, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley refuted charges from the Opposition that political involvement was involved in the nomination of Christopher, who is set to retire from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service in May when she turns 60.
However, he informed MPs that the Police Service Act allows her to work on a contract basis.
Rowley had during his contribution, said that the PSC had proposed Harewood-Christopher, who had been acting in the job since December last year, “as the highest grade candidate”.
He described her as “extremely well qualified via training and academia,” and he informed legislators that his administration was not shocked that the PSC had named her the top applicant at this time.
Dr. Roodal Moonilal, the only opposition legislator to speak during the discussion, stated that he had no objections to her qualifications.
He did, however, express sadness that she had no prior experience battling crime on the field.
“Whether that is an advantage or a disadvantage, one could never tell,” he added, adding that it was unfortunate that the names of individuals ranked second and third by the PSC were not made public.
He did, however, wish Harewood-Christopher “all the best in her endeavor,” pushing her to be tough and strong as well.
