Cabinet on Thursday approved the million-dollar salary of Canadian Dwayne Gibbs, who has been hired as Trinidad and Tobago's Police Commissioner. Gibbs will get about $108,00 a month (US$205,000 per year).National Security Minister John Sandy, who made the announcement, said cabinet also approved the salary $102,000 a month for Deputy Commissioner Jack Ewatski, who is also a Canadian.
Both men have been hired on three-year contracts. There is a clause that allows the government to fire the top police officers if their performance is not satisfactory, the minister said.
“These packages are related to those offered to commissioners of police in jurisdictions in Canada and the US,” Sandy told reporters at the weekly post-cabinet media briefing.
He added that the salaries are lower than what the previous government negotiated for foreign nationals currently employed in State organisations such as the Special Anti-Crime Unit (SAUTT).
“The salary for the senior executive at SAUTT is in the vicinity of $120,000 per month and there is also executive housing to the extent of $26,000 per month. There are other executives in Trinidad and Tobago, both private and public who are receiving in excess of what the commissioner will be receiving,” Sandy said.
Sandy dismissed suggestions that by setting the salaries of the two top officers the government has interfered in the affairs of the Salaries Review Commission.
“The salary of CoP and DCP are set by the Salaries Review Commission. They cannot be disturbed. That is why in the cases of the two Canadians, they have been given an inducement allowance.
“The principle difference in emoluments resides in an inducement allowance that took cognisance of the fact that these gentlemen were asked to uproot themselves and their families from their homes to come to Trinidad and Tobago to bring their expertise and to address the spiraling crime problem being experienced in our beloved twin-island state,” the minister said.
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