The Ministry of Home Affairs has condemned the behavior of Assistant Commissioner Paul Slowe, Rtd, who might be guilty of ‘dereliction of duty’. Referring to remarks made by Slowe at a ceremony last week to mark his retirement, the Ministry, in a statement yesterday, accused him of trying to “tarnish the image of the Force”.

Following is the text of the Ministry’s statement:
The Guyana Police Force – our principal civilian Law Enforcement Agency has been of service to this country for over 170 years.

During that period, many police officers, and other ranks have distinguished themselves with a high quality of dedicated service to the people of Guyana.

Many have even made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of law and order, in this dear land of Guyana.

The Ministry of Home Affairs recognizes the critical role that the Guyana Police Force has been playing in ensuring that there is peace and stability, in the country, a key requirement for the growth and development of any country.

In this regard, since the PPP/Civic assumed office, the Government has been making sustained efforts to ensure that adequate resources are allocated to the Guyana Police Force, to ensure that it continues its process of adjustment to meet extant challenges, in combating crime and violence in the country.

The Ministry is, therefore, amazed and concerned about the recent wild antics a retiring senior officer, Assistant Commissioner Paul Slowe, has been engaging in, over the past seven days.

This police officer, who claims that he is a professional, has by his conduct, offered himself up as fodder to sections of the media, and some societal elements who are pursuing their own agendas, in his efforts at tarnishing the image of the Guyana Police Force, which he has admitted provided sustenance to him, over the years.

When a policeman takes the oath of office, nothing but the best is expected of him, by the public.  Mr. Slowe, was, therefore, bound by law, to perform his duty in a professional manner, because it was that for which he was being paid, and nothing else.

The Assistant Commissioner, in some of his bombardments in the media, has tacitly admitted that matters of improper conduct and other infringements allegedly committed by ranks, were brought to his attention, but he failed to take action, as a senior police officer.

He has also made a number of allegations of corruption in the Force, but the question that should be asked of him, is ‘as a senior police officer, what did he do, to address those matters’?

He, by his own words, may be guilty of ‘Dereliction of Duty’.

Mr. Slowe is reported to have said in one of his diatribes, during last week, that he was ashamed to be a member of the Force, as a result of an incident or some incidents that occurred in the Force.

As a senior police officer, that is the stage at which he should have used his management skills to assist the Force’s administration to address the problems which he said made him “ashamed” of being a member of the Force, which he earlier claimed he loved.

On the issue of promotion to a higher rank in the Force, like with many other organizations, this is not automatic; it must be earned.
The inconsistencies in the utterances of this retired police officer have been noted by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Finally, the Ministry of Home Affairs is extremely disappointed in the conduct of Assistant Commissioner Paul Slowe, in his latest attempt to sow seeds of disaffection and disunity among the members of the Guyana Police Force.
The Ministry condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the behaviour of Assistant Commissioner Paul Slowe.