–after 22 months in office

By Leroy Smith
COMMISSIONER of Police Seelall Persaud will today hold his first press conference since being appointed acting Commissioner of Police in March 2014, and subsequently being confirmed in that post in March 2015 by former President Donald Ramotar.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) yesterday invited the media to this press conference, slated for the Commissioner’s Conference Room at Force Headquarters Eve Leary.
Information coming out of the Guyana Police Force suggested that the press conference would also be shared by Assistant Commissioner, Administration, Balram Persaud; Assistant Commissioner, Operations, David Ramnarine; Crime Chief, Senior Superintendent Wendell Blanhum; and all other divisional commanders.

This event, the first of its kind in the recent history of the Force, is expected to touch on the issues which have been affecting GPF operations over the past year, even as projections for 2016 are expected to be addressed briefly.

Additionally the police top command, especially the Crime Chief, is expected to inform media operatives of the challenges facing investigators and police prosecutors when the photographs of suspects in high-profile and other matters are plastered in the print and electronic media before those persons are charged and placed before the court.

The issue of relocating Police ‘F’ Division is also expected to be raised at the press conference following claims that the decision might have been politically motivated and/or influenced, according to former Minister of Home Affairs and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, Clement Rohee.

The National Suicide Helpline and the Police Social Crime Prevention programme, which were all launched under the Seelall Persaud administration, are also expected to be in focus, and progress reports are expected to be given.

SHORTLIST FOR PROMOTION
Meanwhile, the Police Service Commission is finalising its list of persons who have been shortlisted for promotion, as recommended by the Commissioner of Police.
Presently, the Guyana Police Force has eight Assistant Commissioners of Police in the persons of Brian Joseph, Christopher Griffith, Leslie James, David Ramnarine, Balram Persaud, Clifton Hicken, Winston Cosbert and Marlon Chapman. Chapman, Hicken and James were all promoted to Assistant Commissioners of Police in December last year.

At the moment, the Force has provision for 134 Assistant Commissioners of Police, but there are those within the system who are of the view that given the size of the Guyana Police Force, that number is way too high and the organisation would do well with nine Assistant Commissioners of Police.

The makeup of the Force also provides for four Deputy Commissioners of Police, but again the size of the organisation does not warrant that number of Deputy Commissioners, and there is the general view by security experts that the Guyana Police Force could do well with a maximum of two Deputy Commissioners of Police.

“The Simmons Report”, compiled in 2000, recommended that the Force has no more than nine Assistant Commissioners of Police and two Deputy Commissioners of Police, but it is unclear if that report was given any serious consideration by the previous administration.

At the moment, the Guyana Police Force has what analysts call the “Upside down triangle”, where there is an overkill of senior officers at the top of the Force when in fact the organisation should be structured in such a way that the bottom is very broad-based and sturdy in terms of subordinate officers and other officers, while the administration is properly and equally levelled off.