ASSISTANT Commissioners, senior superintendents, superintendents, deputy superintendents, assistant superintendents, cadet officers and inspectors are all in the lineup of police ranks being considered for promotion by the Police Service Commission (PSC).

The list was submitted to the PSC by the Guyana Police Force (GPF), but was returned to the GPF for some additional details as requested by the PSC, and has not yet been returned to the PSC, although that is expected to be done shortly.

Speaking recently with the Guyana Chronicle, Police Commissioner (acting) Seelall Persaud confirmed that the list had been compiled and sent to the PSC for consideration. He did not divulge names on the list, but this publication was able to garner that bit of information.

Asked if all serving divisional commanders had been included on the list, the top cop responded that he did not wish to commit to answering that question because he did not want to spawn anxiety among GPF ranks. He also pointed out that the list submitted by the Force contained only recommendations, and not confirmation for promotion.

Sources close to the operations of the GPF have confirmed that the list submitted to the PSC contains the names of nearly one hundred police ranks from the various divisions and from all departments in the Guyana Police Force.

Commissioner Persaud said the list submitted would address the present vacancies within the Guyana Police Force.

“The Police Force did submit its recommendations to the Police Service Commission, which requested some additional recommendations and information that the police sent to the commission. (Those) are only recommendations, and the commission has its work to do; they can either take the recommendations or refuse to take any of the recommendations which were put forward,” the acting top cop told this newspaper.

In an earlier comment from a source at the Office of the Police Service Commission, this newspaper was informed that the police did not make any headway in submission of the list of ranks for promotional consideration. At that time, the source had said the fact that the list had not been submitted was not a big deal, since the commission required only approximately one or two weeks to go through the list, which would include what rank the officer is being elevated to, and from what position he/she is being elevated.
The Commission, in its deliberations, would also look at the cases which are pending against officers whose names are on the list, and would decide whether or not the officer is eligible for promotion as recommended by the Commissioner of Police.

There have recently been reports in sections of the media in which ranks have been quoted as saying that matters which were pending for long periods have been raised against them at this time, when their names should be up for promotion in the Guyana Police Force.

(Leroy Smith)