- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 12/Sep 19:06

Police delay payments to ex-SRPs till new fiscal year

FIFTY-NINE police officers ordered to receive a hefty payout after a High Court judge ruled in their favour for salary differences owed since their absorption into the police service (TTPS), have been told that the court-ordered payments owed to them will be delayed until the new financial year. The disclosure came in correspondence from the office of the Commissioner of Police to attorneys representing the officers. The commissioner’s office said the police service “remains guided by the court’s order,” but explained that the service had reached its spending limit for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. “Payment to your clients will be made in the new financial year,” he said. The letter also confirmed that audited worksheets requested by the officers’ attorneys would be provided once finalised by the legal unit. It added that the police service is “making every effort to comply” but was constrained by financial limitations. The assurance comes nearly six months after High Court judge Joan Charles, on March 21, declared that the commissioner’s decision not to pay them was unlawful. She held that they were entitled to retroactive payments. The officers, formerly Special Reserve Police (SRP) drivers, argued that they had been working full-time since their enlistment but were not adequately compensated. Their attorneys, Kiel Taklalsingh and Desiree Sankar, argued that the failure to process their payments violated their legitimate expectations and was an act of unfairness and irrationality by the State. “The allocation of this money, when taken with the Cabinet Note and Minute, meant that claimants acquired a legitimate expectation to have the said retroactive payment calculated and paid. “This represented the policy of the defendant and the Cabinet, and pursuant to the principles of good administration, the defendant ought to have paid this money to the claimants.” Justice Charles agreed, granting the declarations the officers sought. When the officers were formally absorbed into police service in 2009, with confirmation issued via a Departmental Order on September 9, 2010, they later learned that a Cabinet Note had allocated $10,983,600 for their retroactive salaries. This decision was based on a directive from the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO), outlining how SRPs should be paid. The Note said the Cabinet approved an expenditure of $10,983,600 to cover salary arrears for 270 SRPs into the TTPS. This amount was allocated for 191 SRP officers and 79 SRP drivers who had been enlisted outside the SRP 1000 Project. The note also referenced the CPO’s 1995 directive. Despite this, the officers were never compensated, leading them to take legal action. Two weeks ago, a handful of the officers, who retired but are still waiting on their payments, picketed outside the Police Administration Building in Port of Spain. In response, Commissioner Allister Guevarro assured the officers of his commitment to resolving the issue with fairness and respect. The post Police delay payments to ex-SRPs till new fiscal year appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.