By SEAN DOUGLAS Tuesday, October 13 2009

PENNSYLVANIA State University has again been selected by the Police Service Commission (PSC) to select a new Commissioner of Police (CoP) and Deputy Commissioner, according to a PSC statement yesterday.

The re-engagement of Penn State comes despite Government’s criticism last year of an allegedly “flawed” process first used to select a CoP which resulted in the choice of Senior Supt Stephen Williams ahead of James Philbert who was actually made Acting CoP.

On July 23, Newsday reported PSC head Ambassador Christopher Thomas saying the PSC had begun the first stage in the recruitment, which was the Director of Personnel Administration issuing the terms of reference for the selection process to Nipdec.

Yesterday’s PSC statement boasted of the completion of the second stage which involved invitations to prospective firms to submit cost proposals for undertaking the advertisement and selection process. The PSC said Penn State would be recommended to Cabinet as the preferred firm to do the advertisement and selection process for a new CoP.

“On the approval by Cabinet of the required expenditure, Pennsylvania State University Justice and Safety Institute will be contracted to advertise and screen all applicants for the positions of Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Police in accordance with the requirements of Legal Notices Number 101 of 2009, and Number 102 of 2009.”

The PSC promised to keep the public informed of further developments.

Penn State last year choose Williams as CoP (June 13, 2008) but he was rejected by both the Government and Opposition in Parliament (July 4, 2008) with sources claiming he was not a crime-buster.

Lower House Leader Colm Imbert’s claim that the process was flawed was rejected by Penn State team director Don Zettlemayer.

PSC members threatened to resign over the non-appointment but this never occurred. The selection of the CoP and his deputy was facilitated on May 15 by two new orders laid in the Lower House which specified the top cop must have personal qualities of integrity and the courage of his convictions.

On May 23, the PSC extended Philbert’s term to December 15 while Deputy Commissioner Gilbert Reyes was given an extension of six months.

Tabaquite MP Ramesh Maharaj was unimpressed with the re-selection of Penn State, whom he said had otherwise been paid large sums of money by the Government in the fight against crime but apparently without much success in stemming crime.

He wondered why Penn State had been chosen ahead of any local institutions such as the University of the West Indies and University of Trinidad and Tobago into which the Government has otherwise put so much funding.

He alleged there was a connection of sorts between Penn State and Prof Stephen Mastrofski who is hired as a consultant to create an $80 million anti-crime plan.