President David Granger today said that in addition to the substantive Police Commissioner being someone of good character and intelligent, the person should also be “unbribeable”.
Speaking to reporters just after administering the oath of office to the new members of the Police Service Commission, the President said when it comes to the person he wants to head the Police Force, that person should have “the three I’s…Integrity, that is the most important, and I am looking at intelligence and impartiality. I don’t give orders to the Commissioner of Police, but I want somebody who is “Unbribeable”, somebody who is intelligent and somebody who is committed to carrying out the programme of security sector reform, who has the initiative and who can generate public trust.”
He reminded that for the appointment of a Police Commissioner, he still has to get advice from the Police Service Commission.
The President and a high level government team interviewed all of the Assistant Police Commissioners a few months back with the hope of identifying leading candidates for the Top Cop job.
“I understand the field from which I have to choose, and other jurisdictions in the Caribbean have invited officers from other countries from Britain and so on, but I don’t intend to do that since i think we have the talent in Guyana. But I am looking for somebody who has the intelligence, impartiality and integrity to hold such a position”, President Granger said.
He noted that he believes that Guyana needs a Commissioner that the public could look up to.
The President also announced today that in addition to the appointment of a substantive Police Commissioner, he will also be appointing four Deputy Commissioners.
The Guyana Police Force has been without Deputy Commissioners for a number of years. There are currently eight Assistant Commissioners.
Assistant Commissioner David Ramnarine is the acting Police Commissioner.
Retired Acting Police Commissioner Paul Slowe was today sworn in as the Chairman and a member of the Police Service Commission.
On the question of the qualities a new Commissioner should possess, Mr. Slowe said he will have to consult with the other members of the Commission before advising the President, but he believes the next Top Cop should be someone who is “competent, someone who can command the respect of the Force and the Public since people must have confidence in that person, so those are the two main things I will be looking at”.
The President today said he will be engaging the Chairman of the Police Service Commission and the Opposition Leader soon on the issue of the Police Commissioner’s appointment.
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