On the eve of her 62nd birthday and the final day of her contract, Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher was sent on 66 days' vacation leave, according to a May 14 press release from the Ministry of Homeland Security.

Her departure caps a tumultuous period marked by her suspension, arrest during the state of emergency and a high-profile investigation into alleged misconduct in public office, stemming from her approval to allow the purchase of two sniper rifles for the Strategic Services Agency (SSA).

Suspended by the Police Service Commission (PSC) in February, Harewood-Christopher tried to return to duty on May 12 after the High Court lifted her suspension. That same afternoon, she met with acting Commissioner Junior Benjamin at the Police Administration Building to complete the formal handover, accompanied by her attorney, Senior Counsel Pamela Elder.

Her first official act after her suspension was lifted was meeting with Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander. Addressing the media after the meeting, Harewood-Christopher said confidently: 'I have been vindicated, which I expected.

'In my 43 years of service, there have never been allegations of misconduct, criminal or otherwise. My service has always been with integrity.'

Interestingly, the meeting with Alexander, a former co-host of the popular crime talk show Beyond the Tape, which aired on CCN TV6, revived public interest in an earlier controversy surrounding the programme.

On February 1, 2024, Alexander was instructed by the TTPS not to appear on the show. The directive came shortly after

Independent senator Dr Paul Richards criticised the presence of a 'uniformed presenter' on Beyond the Tape during a Joint Select Committee (JSC) on National Security. Richards questioned whether public statements made on the programme reflected the official position of the TTPS.

At the time, Harewood-Christopher, present at the JSC hearing, admitted discomfort with the show's direction and disclosed that it was under internal review.

TV6 later reported the show's producer received a call from Alexander, who said he had been ordered not to appear. The TTPS Corporate Communications Department confirmed the instruction. Attempts to reach Harewood-Christopher at that time for clarification were unsuccessful.

After their recent meeting on May 12, Alexander described the encounter as cordial.

'I have no hard feelings toward Mrs Harewood-Christopher,' he told Newsday on May 12.

'Whatever the circumstances were before, it's all water under the bridge now.

'The focus must be the well-being of the nation, and it's time to move forward.'

Harewood-Christopher's legal ordeal stemmed from her involvement in authorising the importation of sniper rifles, a matter that also implicated former SSA director retired major Roger Best.

On May 10, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard ruled there was insufficient evidence to proceed with criminal charges against Harewood-Christopher.

'The evidence has not unearthed any improper