Governor Daniel Pruce issued a stern directive to acting Police Commissioner Jacqueline Vanterpool last week, instructing her to correct a message she sent her officers about the controversial police-vetting process — and warning that disciplinary action would follow if she failed to comply.
In a Sept. 15 letter obtained by the Beacon, Mr. Pruce accused Ms. Vanterpool of “incorrectly stating that the entire vetting process had been suspended” in an Aug. 22 message to officers, despite a High Court order that he said paused only the enforcement provisions of the vetting regulations.
“The vetting process itself remains ongoing, and officers may continue to submit forms and obtain clearance,” the governor wrote, reiterating public statements he made at an Aug. 26 press conference.
Mr. Pruce added that Ms. Vanterpool admitted during a Sept. 8 meeting with him that she had sent the message without consulting him or seeking advice from the attorney general, who he said confirmed that the vetting process should continue.
“I then asked you to correct your message to align with the terms of my press conference and the advice of the attorney general,” he wrote. “Subsequently, in your email of [Sept. 9], you maintained your position and indicated your intention to seek independent legal advice. For the avoidance of doubt, you are required to comply with the legal advice of the attorney general, the government’s principal legal adviser and counsel in this matter.”
Corrective message
Mr. Pruce’s letter then directed Ms. Vanterpool to send a corrective message to all officers — in terms agreed with him — “no later than midday” on Friday of last week.
“If you fail to do so, I will commence disciplinary proceedings,” Mr. Pruce warned.
Ms. Vanterpool and Mr. Pruce declined to comment, and neither have said if Ms. Vanterpool followed the directive.
Legal challenge
The police-vetting regime at the centre of the dispute is the subject of a pending judicial review brought by Police Welfare Association Chairman Sean McCall, who has argued that the process violates officers’ constitutional rights and improperly centralises power in the Governor’s Office.
A High Court order issued on Aug. 11 suspended related disciplinary measures in the amended Police Regulations — but, according to the governor’s interpretation, left the rest of the vetting process in place until a final judgment is reached.
Mr. Pruce has repeatedly defended the process — which allows the United Kingdom Home Office to vet local officers — as a necessary measure to ensure the integrity of the police force.
At his August press conference, he said about a third of the territory’s 270 to 280 officers had already submitted their vetting forms.
“We, as members of the public, need a level of reassurance so that we can trust those who exercise such powers,” he said at the time, adding that the process is designed to identify conflicts of interest and vulnerabilities that could expose officers to coercion or blackmail.
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