…Top Cop says decision soon on vacant post

Top Cop Leslie James on Friday confirmed  that Deputy Commissioner of Police Lyndon Alves will not be returning to the Guyana Police Force as the Crime Chief or in any other administrative capacity.

James , who was grilled by members of the press in relation to position with Alves remaining off the job, made reference to the fact that Alves will soon be heading into retirement hence his administrative leave will lead him into his retirement.

It must be noted that the investigations into allegations against Alves have been completed and that the report is said to be with President David Granger and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan.

“Mr. Alves is on Administrative Leave and I can say to you that is likely to lead him straight into retirement,” James told the media on Friday afternoon.

The commissioner made the comments after delivering the feature address at passing out parade for three courses of the Felix Austin Police College which saw more than eighty ranks graduating to become new police officers.

The Top Cop was pressed for answers on the appointment of a new Crime Chief.

“Well you know there is a current acting Crime Chief, very soon a decision will be made whether to confirm the current acting Crime Chief as Crime Chief or whether to have another person put in place but that decision would be made very soon,”he said.

James was asked to clarify the statement.

“I just said to you the decision was made that he would remain on leave into his retirement,”he said. 

Deputy Commissioner Alves was suspended in June of this year following a series of reports which sought to link him to persons of a certain character and also which accused him of allowing a number of junior ranks to carry out certain kinds of operations outside of the force SOPs.

Those reports were ignored for a prolonged period by the Guyana Police Force Administration until senior government functionaries got involved and a decision was made by the force to send Alves on suspension to facilitate a probe into the allegations.

Alves departure from the force will now leave an opening for one new Deputy Commissioner of Police as well as the need for the appointment of a substantive Crime Chief.