ASSISTANT Police Commissioner Paul Williams who was Commander of “B” Division (Berbice) will serve as the country’s acting crime chief, while Superintendent Michael Kingston will serve as his deputy.

Williams will hold this position until the substantive Crime Chief, Detective Senior Superintendent, Wendell Blanhum, returns from leave.

He is currently on his annual leave. Assistant Commissioner, Lindon Alves, will act as Commander of ‘B’ Division.

Acting Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine, in a press statement Thursday noted that the Blanhum has served the Guyana Police Force well and has proceeded on annualised vacation leave accumulated for a number of years.

Ramnarine explained that last year Blanhum should have proceeded on over 100 days annualised vacation leave but due to exigencies of the Force, exacerbated by the overriding public security concerns, he was only able to enjoy a very brief period of relaxation (annual vacation leave).

“A few days ago, the Crime Chief (Mr Blanhum) requested to proceed on another short period of annual vacation leave which was approved, taken into account that it was again deserved and that he, as well as other senior officers, will have to resume duty in time for the commencement of the Police’s Christmas period. A period where the intensification of operational and preventive law enforcement strategies are paramount,” Ramnarine noted.

ILL
Unfortunately and regrettably so, the top cop said Blanhum’s deputy, Detective Senior Superintendent Rishi Das fell ill.

Ramnarine explained this was not a sudden and calculated sick report, as Das while on vacation leave overseas had to seek medical attention on more than one occasion and was going to be away from duty for a week.

Additionally, he had previously requested officially, a movement out of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) due its strenuous engagements.

“At the same time Detective Superintendent Joel David, who is stationed at the CID Headquarters, Eve Leary was and still is on a special assignment with a team of officers, investigating the episode of the illegal air craft in Mandacaro, Region Nine (Lethem District),” the police commissioner said.

In the circumstances, Ramnarine said the initial decision was made to have Senior Superintendent Ravindradat Budhram ‘fill the breach’ at CID temporarily until such time, that is a matter of days when a more informed decision would have been made.

“There was no intention to have Senior Superintendent Ravindradat Budhram permanently based at the CID on the fundamental basis that ‘F’ Division, which he commands is increasingly becoming a geographical area of much interest, and in which he has developed comprehensive understanding of. The CID Headquarters, Eve Leary is equally too important to be ‘left in the open’ without the requisite command leadership,” Ramnarine explained.

He continued: “It should be noted by all with interests in law enforcement activities, and administration that notwithstanding the loss of nine senior officers this year due to retirement, the current corps of senior and junior officers and indeed all ranks and auxiliaries will continue to give of the utmost in the interest of this beautiful country, according to the Oath of Office, training, knowledge and experience.”

SERIOUS DEFICIENCIES

President David Granger recently indicated that the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the alleged assassination plot against him has exposed serious deficiencies and weaknesses in the Force, and these will be corrected.

He had noted that the CoI was not meant to be a witch-hunt but work has to be done to ensure that the law enforcement agency is more professional and efficient in the execution of its duties and responsibilities.

“[The Commission] made some very strong recommendations. Even persons who have been following the day-to-day reports would have realised that there has been a significant lapse in professionalism at the high levels of the Guyana Police Force, so these are matters of concern. It has brought to light some serious deficiencies and I am very confident that the work that Mr. Russell Combe is doing will point to ways in which we can correct the deficiencies. The important thing is to ensure that we get information so that we can correct faults. It is not a witch-hunt. We are trying to make the law enforcement agencies more efficient,” he said.

Combe is a British security expert, who is an advisor to President Granger as part of the United Kingdom’s US$4.7B Security Sector Reform (SSR) Programme, which had been scrapped by the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Administration in 2009.

He is expected to produce an initial interim report shortly.