Former Chairman of the Police Service Commission, retired Assistant Police Commissioner, Paul Slowe is not surprised that Assistant Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken has been appointed to act as Commissioner of Police ahead of Deputy Commissioner of Police Paul Williams.

During an appearance on the Mark Benschop show last evening, Mr. Slowe said he believes that several practices have been breached with the appointment of Hicken ahead of a substantive Deputy Police Commissioner.

Slowe who was involved in the process back in 2018 that saw the appointment of Leslie James as Police Commissioner and four Deputies also being appointed said the issue of Mr. Hicken’s qualification for the job cannot be overlooked.

“Some people have said that to be the Commissioner of Police that you don’t have to have a doctorate, you don’t have to have a master’s degree and the like, but it requires some level of academic qualification and I have said, I don’t think he has the necessary qualification for the job and I don’t think he is temperamentally suited for the job and that is my personal view having known the guy for a number of years,” Slowe explained.

The People’s National Congress on Monday said the appointment by the President in the absence of a Police Service Commission and an Opposition Leader is illegal.

The President has said he has used the doctrine of necessity to appoint Hicken to act in the position.

The former Chairman of the Police Service Commission believes that the move by the President may have breached the Constitution.

“My personal view is that in the absence of the Leader of the Opposition and in the absence of the Police Service Commission, no appointments can be made,” Slowe said.

Allies of Mr. Hicken have started a social media blitz to show support for his appointment. Three retired Police Commissioners were quoted in one section of the media as offering their support for his appointment.

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