Choosing the commissioner of police in this country can be a complicated matter. The delayed confirmation of Mr Henry Greene as commissioner after he had been acting in the position for thirty months says a lot about the administration’s personnel policy for the police force. The promotion of six senior superintendents to the rank of assistant commissioner also tells its own story about the prospects for police reform.
The force’s two most senior officers – Commissioner Henry Greene and Deputy Commissioner Edward Wills – are scheduled to retire on their 55th birthdays in April and May, respectively, this year and will have to be replaced. It is not clear who their successors will be although clues can be sought in the recent promotions. The most senior assistant commissioners are Paul Slowe, Leroy Brummell, Khrishna Lakeraj and Paulette Morrison. In addition, six new assistant commissioners – Seelall Persaud, Balram Persaud, Stephen Merai, Nolan Hendricks, George Vyfhuis and Gavin Primo – were promoted to that rank last week.
The success of the police reform process can be best assured if the new command team is assembled now. Settling the succession question by promoting the next senior assistant commissioner to fill the existing vacancy of deputy commissioner (operations) will avoid speculation and ensure a smooth transition to the office of commissioner.
Last year-end’s changes, however, seemed to signal the continuation of the opaque promotion policy that began twelve years ago when the then incumbent commissioner Mr Laurie Lewis was due to demit office having reached the statutory retirement age. The administration’s irregular decision to grant him a series of extraordinary extensions of service for the following five years severely disrupted the sequence of succession and seniority system of the top echelons of the police officer corps.
Bad became worse when, in a weird departure from proper practice, the then deputy commissioner, who was also past the retirement age, was chosen to act as commissioner when Lewis left in the face of an impending legal challenge to his unending tenure. More weirdly, the appointment of a substantive commissioner was deliberately deferred while six officers – Deputy Commissioner Winston Felix; Assistant Commissioners Mohamed Jameer, Paul Slowe, Leon Trim and Edward Wills; and Senior Superintendent Stephen Merai − were nominated to attend an overseas training course in a lottery to determine who the next commissioner would be. For some unannounced reason, Mr Merai never attended the course.
Unfortunately, these not-so-clever manoeuvres were taking place during the troubles on the East Coast. They contributed in no small way to the debilitation of command, the demoralisation of senior officers and the damage to the police force’s law enforcement effort at that difficult time. It would be a blunder to repeat that stratagem.
There has to be a high degree of competence in the command of the police force and an equally high level of public confidence in the leadership of the security sector if the Guyana-Britain Security Sector Reform Action Plan is to achieve its objectives. The administration must consider the promotion to high office in the police force only of persons of proven professional integrity, intelligence and independence. The advancement of those who have had to face legal matters before the courts or are still the subject of incomplete investigations should be avoided.
Political compliance should not be mistaken for professional competence. Although the middle-term objective of the administration’s promotion policy might be to install a tractable commissioner, the long-term result will be the further demoralisation of the officers, the derailment of the reform process and the continuation of a rat race among ambitious careerists who seek to enter high office through the portals of political preferment. As recent history has shown, it could take years to repair the damage to public safety.
Greene may have already reached 55 last April..Nothing happens anywhere anytime unless Bharat says so …that is how a dictatorship operates. As far as Merai and that course in Britain is concerned he was blocked by the then commissioner because of his dubious acts and sudden wealth/ finances and acts incompatible with the conduct of a police officer. Winston Felix was the favorite for this course and was accepted by the British. He was however not acceptable by the dictatorship and his appointement was a merry go around for two years,
Paulette Morrison would be the only person with a clean slate to take the Guyana Police Force to the next high of honesty. She still have some age and live honestly with a police pay comparable to the days when we earn $117.00 a month. She is professional cop from way back who visit many crime seen and work her way around many diffrent departments in the Guyana Police Force.
Paulette Morrison would be the first Woman Police Commissioner in the history ofthe Guyana Police Force and would be able to change it direction. Should she become commissioner, life for women in Guyana would be much diffrent across the ten Administrative Region.
I know about the $117 a month days, a top up was a banks and if the 5500 or 6600 sergeant found out you get fine two days pay. Today a top up is big money and you share it with de sergeant, what a change.
Pauilette would not be the first female commissioner. There is a police force in Guyana older than the Guyana Police Force, and that is the Georgetown City Constabulary/City Police. That body is headed by a female. Hence the first female Commissioner,period.
Yarrow
As much as I would like to agree with you and endorse Paulette Morrison as Greene’s successor, it ain’t gonna happen!!! She’s not a “Yes sir, massa type” I worked with her and know her as a no nonsense God-fearing woman. Plus she doesn’t need the stress of having to deal with those corrupt and evil politicians|
badlall, it seems that you more bad than the PNC, because you want to tell the president how to run the country, why dont you run for president because the pnc do not have a leader,and that means that you will LOOSE.
PILOT, you did not mention everything. What happen if you eat at the mess, visit the otherranks bar for a few drink and chicken, and take a few items from the Police Co-op. Your take home was minus sixty dollars, you remember. We use to look at one another and laugh and wait for the next pay day.
Working in the Crime Lab with Paulett, we both walk to the crime sceen because it took a good time to get a bike which cost $126.00 you remember that one.
… PILOT,,, yuh leff out wan ah dem ! 5050 -ah die-hard paramount party consiprator ! he was so corrupt that any deal he helped to fabricate or got wind of he demands half !of the take ! his # gave him the alias “half an half”….. i’m surprised he was not made mention of by those who KNOW !….
Yarrow, me 117 only lasted fo two weeks boy,after that me call me mother,or go eat at me uncle big house he was COP.I learned de job from a 4800 police,boy ad man can write a statement, may he rest in peace.Mike, half & half was a bush police at one time , he na lock you up all he want is half , if you don’t have it, you have have to go find it. GPF thank you for the discipline. Good days.
The mystery will begin to unravel… Political Pimping of the police force goes into overdrive!!!
Can we now ask our esteemmed new Commissioner to place on record why his US visa was revoked?
Good question, it may be RK, who knows.
German I think he already placed himself on record when he said in Stabroek news of Jan-1-09′I have never been involved in any drug activity with any drug lord and I maintain that position unto this day, and I want categorically to state that i have never been involved in any way with illegal drug operations either locally or abroad and I have never associated with any drug dealer”, you should contact Washington or ask Stabroek to help you because according to Stabroek of the same date Washington alleged that the then acting police commissioner had benefited materially from the drug trade, so if they made the allegations and revoked his visa they can most likely give you the reasons
THAT IS NOT YOUR BUSINESS, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW ASK THE US EMBASSY.
Love this piece.
Police reform will only result if there is a comprehensive overhaul of our public education/awareness strategies. This will require:
(i)Strengthening local journalism and affording our people easy access to modern media!
(ii)The corporate and private sectors in Guyana must be in the forefront in support of values aimed at strengthening a commitment to excellence in all we do.
(iii) Our political/National organizations need to embrace firmly, the age old and proven worth of equality of opportunity and respect for all regardless of ethnicity or political affiliation.
values of have easy access
(iv) All of us from the level of the individual,family,community, organization should actively support the intent & fullness of Human Rights as set out by the UN and supported by our leaders.
(v) We must begin to attach greater significance to the quality of education our children receive and hence volunteer to improve that quality in everyway possible.
The plan is to work the system until you get the man you want then PANG you make the political appointment.Competence means nothing any more.The GPF and GDF are now political arms of de Gov.
IT WAS ALWAYS, AND IN BURNHAM YOU HAD TO OBEY, NO CHOICE.
German, that is no longer relevant.What the general public is very concerned about is the strange elevation of Steve MERAI, to the office of Assistant Commissioner,especially with the unanswered questions concerning his involvement with drug dealers,as was carried in SN,and his historical involvement in extrajudicial killings which still linger.The Police Service Commission should explain this nomination,if the President is constrained/ deigns to do so.
If the president is going to make this selection, AND HE WILL, I suggest that he does it in the same manor in which he filled the GDF position, by appointing someone from “OUTSIDE” the current pool of prospective wanna bees. Replace the position with a person with a strong vision and who will take the GPF in a new direction, a person who is not OWNED by anyone, nor has allegiance to either political party.
AFTER READING ALL OF THE ABOVE,
I HAVE DECIDED TO VOTE NOW.
MY VOTE GOES TO MR. GAVIN PRIMO.
GAVIN KEEP WORKING HARD AS ALWAYS YOUR TIME IS NEAR.
Very good editorial. In this day and age why is statutory retirement age 55 for the police force. Guyana already has a “brain drain problem’ with the migration of so many Guyanese. Why would you want to retire an experience police officer when the country is striving to deal with all this crime. Retirement in most countries is 65.
Smokey, the concern in LAW ENFORCEMENT is BURNOUT, that’s why in MOST countries, the retirement age is 55. I retired at 54 and I don’t miss it,,,,too much stress.
Your concern about the choice of commissioner and success of police reform is justified. However,true Police reform will only result if there is a comprehensive overhaul of our public education/awareness strategies. This will require:
(i) Strengthening local journalism and affording our people easy access to modern media!
(ii) The corporate and private sectors in Guyana must be in the forefront in support of values aimed at strengthening a commitment to excellence in all we do.
(iii) Our political/National organizations need to embrace firmly, the age old and proven worth of equality of opportunity and respect for all regardless of ethnicity or political affiliation.
(iv) All of us from the level of the individual,family,community, organization should actively support the intent & fullness of Human Rights as set out by the UN and supported by our leaders.
(v) We must begin to attach greater significance to the quality of education our children receive and hence volunteer to improve that quality in everyway possible.