GUYANA now has a new commissioner of police — its 12th Guyanese — in the person of Leslie Albert James, a former crime chief, who immediately prior to this appointment served as Commander of ‘A’ Division, and other command posts.

But there is also a most important addition–the naming of four deputy commissioners of police, who will be the new commissioner’s principal assistants and the GPF’s administrators, as they each will be responsible for the areas of administration, operations, law enforcement, and intelligence, which President Granger described as the, “four most critical areas of the police [force] and the appointments will serve several purposes.”
There is also a very significant appointment, that of Ms Maxine Graham, to the level of deputy commissioner. It is as seminal, since it is seen as a long-overdue instance for a female rank, but also another example of a government that has continued to advance the importance of gender equality in a nation that is not short of quality talent, competence, ability, and skills, among the category of female professionals.

The appointment of the four deputy commissioners of police signals the restoration of a long absent, and critical administrative component which makes for competent administration of the GPF, thereby reducing greatly, operational hiccups and bottlenecks which no law-enforcement body should have to encounter in its daily management. In fact, we stand to be corrected, by recalling that this four-officer deputy commissioner structure, was first installed sometime in the mid-1970s, with officers of the calibre of Deputy Commissioners Haynes and Crandon, two of the four appointed officers. This was a departure from what used to be the singular deputy commissioner mechanism.

The fact that President David Granger, also commander-in-chief of the nation’s armed forces, and very forthright on matters of state security, would have sworn in the new commissioner so soon after his naming and announcement of the latter, underlines not only the seriousness with which he views the portfolio and its supporting offices as critical for ensuring the nation’s security. It is also the key necessity of leading the security sector reform process which is so vital for a police force that must be urgently led into the new day of modernisation, for confronting the numerous social challenges that abound; and professionalism, where service will be seen as a duty, a call to national service in the aid of defeating crime, thus bringing its perpetrators, irrespective of social class/status to justice.
In his post-swearing in address, President Granger was quite unequivocal when he underlined that the office is “not a toy”, a “trinket”, or a “tool of political favour or patronage.’’ It is as well that this particular aspect, a hallmark of existence that was responsible for the havoc and declining standards of the police force during the last People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), be again highlighted.

Not only was the existence of what seemed to have been the deliberate policy of the political directorate of extending the tenure of some police commissioners; but that this did not augur well for both the seamless transition, as had formerly been the case. This resulted in the ruination of the plan of succession which every security force must have; and disgruntlement by many senior ranks who felt shortchanged and cheated. The inevitable then set in: loss of morale, the decline of professional standards, with all of the shortcomings that have affected the proper management of the local law- enforcement agency.

It is evident that this stagnation will not re-occur, as the appointed management structure will henceforth allow also for third-tier officers of the rank of assistant commissioners to have reasonable expectations of succeeding to the upward level of deputy commissioners, a fact which President Granger pointed out.

There is no doubt that all Guyana, its citizens to be specific, welcomes this new and important chapter in the annals of the GPF, and will entrust their safety to the new commissioner and his managers. Of course, we must want them to succeed, as much as they would also want themselves. But this calls for continued cooperation between the two sides, and an understanding of the plethora of challenges, as pointed out by President Granger, which are present at the moment.

It therefore further explains the absolute necessity for the successful implementation of the security sector reforms, which is high on the agenda of this new GPF administration, and which the President has reminded is a serious and major priority for this new team, for a modern police force. As a nation, we offer them sincere congratulations, especially to the first female deputy commissioner of police, and best wishes as they guide the process of reforms for a better police force, and a more secure society.