… Ramnarine to resume acting until President appoints new head

ASSISTANT Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine will return from vacation leave on March 1 and will be taking the helm of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on March 5, 2018 when outgoing Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud officially demits office.

The GPF will today (February 28) host a Farewell Parade in honour of the 11th Commissioner of Police at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary.
The Top Cop will be going on pre-retirement leave from today but will retire on March 5, 2018.

A substantive Commissioner of Police will be appointed following discussions between the President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo..
Persaud faced turbulent times at the head of the Force including a public rift with Ramnarine. The rift had reached the level of Cabinet and was pointed out in the CoI Report, headed by retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Slowe.

The Commission found that the ‘hostile’ relationship that existed between Persaud and Ramnarine led to divisions among the officer corps of the GPF.
Late last year, Ramnarine was appointed to act as police commissioner for a 100-day period while Persaud was on annual leave.

Ramnarine, with advice and the support of the Force’s top management, promoted several ranks. Upon Persaud’s return, he instructed that all of the promotions approved by Ramnarine be rescinded.
Persaud was first enlisted in the Guyana Police Force on October 15, 1984 and was given regulation number 12904.

As a constable, he achieved his first promotion to Cadet in 1990 in the Standard Officers’ Course.
He was later promoted to Assistant Superintendent in 1992, Deputy Superintendent 1996, Superintendent in 1999, Senior Superintendent in 2003, Assistant Commissioner in 2007 and Crime Chief 2012.

In 2014, he was appointed acting Commissioner of Police and was confirmed in that position in March 2015, becoming the 11th Commissioner of Police to serve Guyana since Independence.

Other Commissioners of Police who served Guyana since 1966 are: Felix Austin (1967-01-01), Carl Austin (1968-01-01), Henry Fraser (1973-10-22), Lloyd Barker (1977-08-02), Balram Raghubir (1985-01-09), Laurie Lewis (1990-08-01), Floyd McDonald (2001-09-05), Winston Felix (2004-02-16), Henry Greene (2006-11-01) and Leroy Brummell (2012-06-01).