“Commissioner of police (ag) Leroy Brumell should be confirmed now!”

“Commissioner of police (ag) Leroy Brumell should be confirmed now!” – Former Police Top Cop

Sep 20, 2013 News

The first step to end political manipulation of the Guyana Police Force is to confirm Deputy Commissioner Leroy Brumell to the substantive position of Commissioner as soon as possible.

Leroy Brumell

This is the position of several senior law enforcement officers, political activist Aubrey Norton and former Commissioner of Police now Member of Parliament Winston Felix.
“By now, it is no longer a question among members of the Guyanese society as to whether Government officials have their claws sunk deeply in the power pool of the Police Force,” said Felix, a view that is shared by Aubrey Norton and other serving police officers.
Frustrated citizens have also expressed that, “in order for any real progress to be achieved by the GPF, which has been striving in their endeavours to observe the letter of the law, there must be an end to the political influence over the Force.”
It is the view of those who spoke to this newspaper, that a Commissioner, whose tenure of security is in limbo, is vulnerable.
Norton said, “The Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee and PPP are using his (Brumell) non appointment as a sword of Damocles to make him vulnerable.”
“They are aware that when a person is close to retirement, they are afraid to lose their benefits and are therefore less likely to challenge the wrongs of the administration, and consequently, turn a blind eye to the wrongdoing of the political directorate.”Brumell has less than a year before he officially retires from the Force. He is one of only two deputy commissioners who were appointed by President Donald Ramotar last year.He began acting as Top Cop almost two years ago when then Commissioner Henry Greene proceeded on administrative leave to facilitate an investigation of rape following allegations leveled against him.Greene subsequently died leaving that void at the top of the organization.

Aubrey Norton

Norton believes that another critical step is the need for the Minister to restrict his involvement to policy formulation and leave the day to day running of the GPF to the Commissioner and his senior officers. “Such high level of professionalism appears to be outside of the Minister’s competence and his authoritarian, if not dictatorial style. The evidence suggests that the Minister’s interest is in micro managing and pursuing a narrow PPP agenda at the expense of maintaining law and order and promoting the interest of the people of Guyana,” the activist said.
He continued, “His penchant for micro management is best illustrated by the recent ruckus with senior policemen over his arbitral refusal of their leave. It is reminiscent of his usurping of the functions of the public servants in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and determining even when and if clerks got leave while he mismanaged that Ministry.”
“It must be recalled that one thing that came out of the Linden Commission of Inquiry is that the Minister violates the protocol and procedures of the GPF and speaks directly to policemen at various levels. That level of political interference will have to stop if there is going to be an end to the political control,” Norton declared.

Winston Felix

Rohee’s alleged micro management of the GPF first gained public attention during a bitter spat early last year with Assistant Commissioner David Ramnarine.
The Minister had instructed that Ramnarine be disciplined after claiming that he had lost confidence in him.
Ramnarine was subsequently relieved of his Divisional Commander status.

3 thoughts on ““Commissioner of police (ag) Leroy Brumell should be confirmed now!” – Former Police Top Cop”

Linden Sinclair September 20, 2013 at 6:03 am

Square pegs in round holes, most of the capable and sensible leaves guyana, thus allowing room for square pegs
vatvic September 20, 2013 at 7:43 am

Yes, Mr Brummel deserves the job without the ‘acting’… impressive piece of work over the last few days.
Ashley Singh September 20, 2013 at 9:36 am

Felix is playing a very dangerous game.