The Guyana Police Force (GPF), this afternoon, clarified what it said is “ misleading information” contained in a Kaieteur News article today regarding the promotion of Cadet Officers in the GPF to the rank of Assistant Superintendent.
The Police Force, in a statement, said it has observed that the KN article (published under the caption ‘11 Cadet Officers to be promoted to Assistant Superintendents’) quoted Chairman of the Police Service Commission as saying: “As the need arise for more ASPs, the responsibility rests with the Commissioner of Police to make those recommendations. Do we recommend Inspectors to become ASPs or do we take the Cadet Officers in the system.”
The article further stated that: “It was explained that the system could only accommodate a certain number of Assistant Superintendents and there is a preference for experienced Inspectors and Chief Inspectors to fill positions that become available from time to time.”
According to the GPF, those remarks tend to suggest that the Commissioner of Police is responsible for the delay of the promotion of the Cadet Officers.
The facts are that the Police Force’s Standing Orders regarding their promotion indicate a probationary period of two years for Cadet Officers, with either the full two years as a Cadet Officer or one year as a Cadet Officer and one year as an Assistant Superintendent on probation. Thereafter, if certain requirements are met, the Officer is promoted to the rank of Assistant Superintendent and if they are not met then other options are described.
The GPF said “it is true that the first batch of Cadet Officers, in keeping with the Presidential initiative of appointing 50, completed the Standard Officer’s Course in the Guyana Defence Force in 2009 and they remained as Cadet Officers unto 2014”.
It noted that it was the current Commissioner of Police who pursued this matter with the Government when it was decided to create appointments for the Cadet Officers without impacting on the establishment set for Assistant Superintendents in the Police Force. It therefore follows that the promotion of the Cadet Officers could not have prevented the promotion of the Chief Inspectors and Inspectors to the rank of Assistant Superintendent.
Cabinet decision dated May 12, 2014, indicated the Government’s “no objection” for the promotion of 24 Cadet Officers who were named in the document to be promoted to Assistant Superintendent and they have since been promoted.
Cabinet paper dated March 11, 2015, reflected the Government’s “no objection” for the promotion of another 11 Cadet Officers, who were named in the document, to the rank of Assistant Superintendent. To date these Cadet Officers were not promoted.
Of the remaining Cadet Officers, two would have resigned from the Force. Some have matters before the Police Service Commission and the others have not met the requirements of the Police Force’s Standing Orders.
The GPF said it is therefore misleading to state that the promotion of these Cadet Officers had anything to do with the Commissioner of Police’s recommendations or with the Force’s preferences.
“It may have had something to do with the sluggishness of the system, inclusive of the Police Service Commission,” it contended.
