“Mischievous” acts to block GPF promotions would affect 710 ranks – Brutus

Chairman of the Guyana Police Officers’ Association, Assistant Commissioner of Police Calvin Brutus, has underscored that recent action to challenge the Guyana Police Force promotions would affect a whopping 710 ranks and send ‘shockwaves’ across the security landscape.

Brutus has relayed that there are concerns from newly promoted ranks regarding impending legal challenges to their promotions filed by former Police Service Commission Chairman Paul Slowe. Slowe has filed an action at the Demerara High Court to block the recently reconstituted Police Service Commission (PSC) from promoting or publishing a promotions list of officers.
Brutus has explained that should such litigation be successful, the resultant consequence would be annulment of the promotions that fall between the brackets of Assistant Commissioner and Inspector, which amounts to 255 members of the Force. This, he said, would reverberate to the recently promoted 455 junior ranks, given that approximately half of the vacancies ranging from sergeants to lance corporals were created in the wake of senior promotions.
He added, “Hence, rescinding senior promotions would erase those vacancies, with the unreasonable and excruciating reversal of those junior promotions. Importantly, the majority of those members who are beneficiaries of the July, 2022 promotions have families and/or dependents, rent, mortgages, medical and other commitments. The impact of such an occurrence will inevitably shatter the morale of those affected officers, Inspectors, and other ranks.
“Moreover, it would abruptly snatch those affected members’ benefits by reducing their new payment packages and allowances.”
With such a move, he stressed, members of the Force would be demotivated, translating to undesirable performance at all levels of the organisation.
Pointing out that while everyone alleging injustice is afforded equal access to the judicial organ in a democratic society, Brutus asserted that, in this case, these aspersions can be best described as mischievous and disingenuous against the background of the comprehensive postulation of a well-balanced compendium of recommendations made by Acting Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken to the current Police Service Commission.
According to him, the recommendations focused on satisfying a large number of existing vacancies at all levels within the organization, precipitated by the “biased approach and obvious machination” of the previous Police Service Commission. It was also done to reverse the all-time low morale of members of the Force, who were distressed about the seemingly infinite litigations concerning Police promotions.
“It is the candid view that any person(s) that undertake such an unnecessary and hazardous endeavour is certainly mischievous, void of consciousness, empathy for law enforcement officials, fellow citizens, and lack any semblance of nationhood.
Moreover, members of the Force are cognisant of the minuscule portion of society that is pontificating and insinuating sinister intentions. Should such litigation materalise, it would not succeed, due to the lack of legal foundation, public policy considerations, and the negative implication for public security in Guyana.”
The Guyana Police Officers’ Association has pledged to promptly make an application to join any such litigation, in order to vigorously and adequately represent the interests of all officers who were promoted. Further, it has expressly indicated that it would pursue the same initiative for the junior members.
“The hierarchy of the Force wishes to assure the 710 diligent and deserving members of the Force that all avenues will be explored to ensure the status quo of July 3, 2022 is not interfered with by any unscrupulous, unconscious, and sinister minuscule portions of Guyanese society. The administration of the Force urges all concerned to not be distracted by these mischievous tactics, but rather to focus their attention and energies positively by continuing to perform law enforcement duties with diligence and poise.” (G12)