By Leroy Smith

AMIDST the recent announcement of promotion of several officers in the Guyana Police Force (GPF), President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo are yet to discuss the appointment of deputy police commissioners.The structure of the GPF caters for four deputy commissioners, but for a number of years, the Force has been operating without any substantive deputy.

Deputy Commissioners are usually appointed by the President after consultations with the Opposition Leader, but this has not happened as yet.

Contacted on Sunday, President David Granger confirmed that he has not commenced any discussion with the Opposition Leader in relation to the appointment of Deputy Commissioners of Police.

The President also said he had not paid much attention to the list released by the Police Service Commission with the promoted senior officers, as he was otherwise engaged.

He, however, stated that he is not necessarily mandated to review and make sanctions regarding the list, as he acknowledged that the Police Service Commission, which is a constitutional body, has been given that mandate, and he said it should be allowed to function without interference.

In an invited comment on Sunday, Mr Jagdeo told the Guyana Chronicle that the recent police promotions are a welcome move which should serve to motivate the ranks and encourage patriotic service by those who were not fortunate to make the list.

He said that while he understands that there are those who may be disgruntled at this time because their names might not be on the list for promotion, he is encouraging them to continue working with the interest of the Guyanese people at heart. He stressed that not everyone can be promoted at the same time.

Mr Jagdeo reminded that he was always in favour of promoting police ranks, and would have been happier to see the promotion announced earlier; but he noted that the Police Service Commission, which is a constitutional body, has its job to do.

Mr Jagdeo, a former President, also said that once he is invited by President Granger for discussion on appointment of the Deputy Commissioners of Police, he will not hesitate to participate, as it is his hope to see the men and women who serve the country at the level of the armed forces be rewarded for their hard and patriotic work.

RETIREMENT
Meanwhile, with the Police Force now having the full complement of Assistant Commissioners, two of these officers are slated to head into retirement this year, and one of them is presently on sick leave.

There is therefore the belief that there will be elevations of two other senior police ranks to the post of Assistant Commissioners of Police after the two go into retirement.

Additionally, once the discussions regarding the appointment of Deputy Commissioners occur, there will be additional vacancies for Assistant Commissioners.

The Deputy Commissioners, in keeping with tradition, would be taken from the already existing pool of Assistant Commissioners of Police, mostly based on seniority.

The Guyana Police Force last Saturday released the list of police promotions as approved by the Police Service Commission.

After the Police Force received the list, the Force Operations Officer, Assistant Commissioner David Ramnarine, who is also performing the functions of Deputy Commissioner, Administration, informed the senior ranks of their promotions and invited them to visit the quartermaster’s stores at Force Headquarters to uplift their respective instruments to represent their new ranking.

With the promotion list out, there is expected to be several changes within the Guyana Police Force in terms of responsibilities and office holders. At the moment, the Police ‘A’ Division, as of Sunday, has two Assistant Commissioners of Police in the persons of Commander Clifton Hicken and his deputy, Ian Amsterdam, who previously served as the Divisional Commander of ‘D’ Division and later Traffic Chief.
One of the Assistant Commissioners would now have to be removed from that division.

The same development presently obtains over at the Presidential Guards, where long-serving Assistant Commissioner Brian Joseph and recently promoted Lyndon Alves are now of the same rank, hence one would have to be removed.

There is talk in police circles that the more senior of the two would be heading to Force Headquarters, while Alves would remain and head the Presidential Guards.

There are likewise reports that the Commander of Berbice, Christopher Griffith, would also be heading to the City at Force Headquarters, while another recently promoted Assistant Commissioner would be heading to Berbice to head that Division.

Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud and Force Operations Officer David Ramnarine are likely to meet this week with the recently promoted officers and those who are to be reshuffled, following which they would be issued with their respective letters, instructing them to take up their new command.