Snaggs leaves office on July 1

POLICE Commissioner Everald Snaggs is expected to proceed on pre-retirement leave from July 1. He will celebrate his 60th birthday on July 15 and sources from the Ministry of National Security said yesterday that government has no plans to offer any extension to the top cop. The source revealed that the next senior officer in the police service, Deputy Commissioner Trevor Paul, will act as Commissioner when Snaggs retires until he is confirmed in the post.

Paul has just over three years in the job which will give him sufficient time to institute new policies and anti-crime plans. The National Security source revealed that while government has no problems with Snaggs he did not have the sufficient time to carry out the job as Commissioner. The government is hoping that Deputy Commissioner Paul will be able to put into place effective anti-crime measures during his stewardship. When Deputy Commissioner Paul is elevated to the post of Ag Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner Oswyn Allard will be elevated as the second Deputy Commissioner. Deputy Commissioner Glen Roach is the other Deputy Commissioner in the service.

Sources revealed that Allard is expected to be placed in charge of crime and operations while Roach will be placed in charge of  strategic planning and development in the service. Ag ACP Wellington Virgil who is acting as ACP Crime in the absence of ACP James Philbert, who is on 35 days leave, is expected to be confirmed as an ACP. ACP Frank Diaz who was on leave returned to his post as the ACP in charge of Special Branch last week, while ACP Winston Cooper who is attending a course in England is expected to return shortly. Ag ACP Kathleen Weekes is also expected to be confirmed in the post as ACP, as well as Ag ACP Michael Thomas, who heads the Tobago Division.