Strong resistance if retired cop re-hired as CoP

PRESIDENTS of both the Police Social Welfare and First Division Officers Associations have voiced their strong disagreement to a proposed government plan to replace Commissioner of Police Hilton Guy, who retires in November, with Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) John Grant, who last August proceeded on pre-retirement leave.

In fact, President of the Police Social Welfare Association (PSWA) Insp Christopher Holder warned there would be “strong and stern resistance” from police officers, if Grant is returned to active police duty. Grant, 59, will officially retire from the police service in November. The move to bring Grant back would bypass DCP Everald Snaggs who is now second in line after Guy. “We do not see Mr Grant as possessing any superior inter-personal human resource management and technical skill to warrant any government taking such a decision,” Insp Holder said in an interview with Sunday Newsday yesterday.

Reports have been circulating about a recommendation by the Police Service Commission (PSC) to appoint Grant CoP when Guy retires. Insp Holder said that in light of information the PSWA received which stated that Grant was strongly tipped to replace Guy, the Central Committee of the Police Service took a decision on Tuesday to prepare a petition signed by all members, voicing their collective disagreement with the decision to reinstate Grant. Holder said the petition would be forwarded to Prime Minister Patrick Manning, Chairman of the National Security Council, and Minister of National Security, Howard Chin Lee. 

If, despite the petition, Grant is appointed the  new Commissioner of Police, Holder warned that there would be “stern and strong resistance” by the rank and file of the 7,000-member Police Service. President of the First Division Officers Association ACP (South) Peter John yesterday said the First Division was always against bringing retired officers back to active duty. “When an officer reaches the age of 60, that is it. We do not believe and are strenuously against moves to bring back persons 60-years and older into the service,” John said. He said that when the Police Second Division was clamouring for Noor “Kenny” Mohammed to get an extention as CoP, although he had reached retirement age, the First Division Officers’ Association opposed the move. “It is nice to see Mr Holder and the Second Division come on board with us and to oppose the plan to bring back John Grant,” ACP John said. This is not the first time that there has been controversy over the appointment of a Commissioner of Police. It also happened in the case of retired CoP Jim Rodriguez, who now resides in Canada and then later CoP Randolph Burroughs. Efforts to reach CoP Guy and John Grant for comment yesterday proved futile.