As you've been seeing, Assistant Superintendent Fitzroy Yearwood is all over the news tonight.
He hosted his first press briefing since his return as the police department's main public relations personality effective today.
Today, Commissioner Chester Williams announced the appointment saying quote, "Effective today, Mr. Fitzroy Yearwood… will be in charged of all interactions with the media on behalf of the Commissioner of Police." End quote.
When we asked Yearwood about his new role, he told us that he is in charge of all of the department's public relations. Here's that conversation:
ASP Fitzroy Yearwood - Director of Communications, ComPol's Office
"Daniel, your media house was the first to break the news. So, I wouldn't say sudden return. Last Tuesday, to be exact, I saw it on Channel 7 News, but of course, I have knowledge of it because the Commissioner and I both sat down and had our discussion. I have always been a media person, so to speak, and so, it's just coming back to what I love doing, [which is] to explain to the general public in a palatable fashion, as to things that may affect their lives."
But, is Chester Williams, the most accountable and accessible Police Commissioner - so far - being muzzled by limiting his interactions with the public and the press? News of ASP Yearwood's appointment as his direct liaison has sparked speculation that the ComPol is being barred by political bosses from making public comments. We asked Yearwood about that, and he disagreed:
ASP Fitzroy Yearwood - Director of Communications, ComPol's Office
"This is not saying that the Commissioner will not address the media at times, but he has limited the number of people that will address the media."
Reporter
"Why would somebody like our current Commissioner, who has been very transparent and open, and is a trained attorney, in need of a public relations [officer]? There is speculation from prominent members of the Opposition trying to suggest that your return is supposedly some muzzling of the Commissioner's Office or the Commissioner himself."
ASP Fitzroy Yearwood
"As you said, it's a suggestion, and people are entitled to their own opinions. The Commissioner is the person who made that call. He's the person who personally came to me and asked me to do it. I don't believe it's muzzling, and as I said, he will make his appearances, but he is saying that it's getting overwhelming, and he has other duties, other than addressing media-related questions."
This morning, during his interactions with the press for the announcement of ASP Yearwood's appointment, the ComPol said, quote, "I will still interact with the media when [the] situation permits." End quote.
