“A void has been left in the organisation that won’t be filled in a long, long time,” were the sentiments of acting Police Commissioner Nigel Hoppie on Thursday morning when he visited the grieving family of late Director of Music, Senior Superintendent Charmaine Stuart, who died on Wednesday evening.
Stuart, 55, was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital after she complained of chest pain, but died soon after.
Acting Police Commissioner Nigel Hoppie and other senior Police Officers at the home of Stuart on Thursday
During the visit, the acting Top Cop was accompanied by Welfare Officer, Deputy Superintendent Jewel Sullivan; second-in-charge (administration) Allison Moore and Quartermaster, Assistant Superintendent Donna Ferguson.
At the home, they met with Stuart’s sons Kevin and Murphy; husband, Ronald and other family members.
“Sympathies and words of comfort were offered to the grieving family by the team as Commissioner Nigel Hoppie assured the family that he – and, by extension, the Guyana Police Force – will support them in this difficult time,” the Police stated in a release to the media.
Director of Music, Senior Superintendent Charmaine Stuart
Stuart, who accumulated more than 30 years of service in the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and more so the Band Room, made history in 2016 when she became the first-ever female officer to be named Director of Music and Culture within the Force.
Stuart will be remembered for her disciplinarian attitude, pleasant personality, and uplifting spirit by all those who were lucky to have known her.
Since her passing, several persons have taken to social media expressing their sadness.
In addition, Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon, on behalf of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC), has extended condolences to her family, especially her husband and two sons as well as ranks of the GPF.
In 2017, she also became the first woman to win the overall Best Cop award for her stellar contributions to the Force where she served in several capacities.
“Ms Stuart will also be remembered for her contributions as the Chairman of the GPF’s Joint Services Committee, Vice President of the Guyana Association of Women Police and the Coordinator of the Force’s Literacy and Debating Society,” Harmon posited.
