ComPol Chester Williams says Police President is Disrespectful
On Friday, a case was brought against Commissioner of Police Chester Williams from within the ranks of the police department. Corporal Eldon Arzu, the President of the Police Association is challenging a statutory instrument signed by Williams to remove him as head of the association. At the centre of the dispute is a request made by Williams’ predecessor, Allen Whylie, for audit reports on the financials of the association. President Arzu has said that he is unable to provide that report because he would first need the ComPol to furnish the association with the audit of the Police Trust Fund. Today, Commissioner Williams says that Arzu has failed to follow the instructions of his superior and finds him very disrespectful.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“This is not about me. I am not a paying member of the association, but I have an interest to ensure that all the police officers of this department best interest is looked after. And those three members are looking after the best interest of the people who elected them, the rank and file of sergeant and below.”
Reporter
“What Mister Arzu said to the former commissioner in a letter is that we cannot provide the financials, because we need to know the status of the Police Trust Fund. You as the commissioner, or the senior rank of the department, administers a police fund. Why don’t you all provide the audit for that?”
Chester Williams
“Mister Vasquez you have employees. If you were to give one of your employees an instruction and they reply to you saying, I am not going to do that until you do this. Would you see it as a good thing to do?”
Reporter
“But you are dealing with a legal matter sir.”
Chester Williams
“If your news anchor were to tell you, Mister Vasquez I am not going to read your news tonight until you read the first segment of the news. Would that be something good to do? Would it be?”
Reporter
“But sir, I do not have a statutory responsibility. You have a statutory responsibility…”
Chester Williams
“You have a responsibility of ensuring that you report the news to the public. It does not matter. It is a matter of an instruction, Mister Vasquez. You can’t tell your superior you noh wah do this unless he do that. There is no reason why the police association cannot be audited without the others. If it were that they were so akin to each others, then I understand. But the association accounts can be audited without the police trust fund or the police rural fund being audited. So for him to say that to the commissioner then, I consider that to be very disrespectful.”
