Pending Police Senior Command Shuffle Ruffles Feathers Internally

Chester Williams

With the announcement of transfers and promotions within the Belize Police Department, News Five understands that not all police officers who make up the senior command are happy campers. Reports are that there are plans afoot to file an injunction to halt these moves among the senior ranks of the department. Reporters asked the ComPol to weigh in on these internal rumblings. Here is what he had to say.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“For promotions there is a process and we have to go through the process for promotion. I cannot say that I am promoting somebody but as the Commissioner of Police I make recommendations for transfers and I also make recommendations for promotions. If and when the time comes for promotion, there is still going to be those who are going to be disgruntled. But, senior officers must understand that the major criteria for promotions, as outlined in the Public Service Regulations, as well as in our own policy manual is that of the persons education qualification, that is the first criteria, followed by the person’s work ethics, appraisals and seniority is the least, at the bottom of the scale. If we were to look at promotions based on seniority, I would not be commissioner today. Many of the senior officers who want to challenge any promotion they believe will happen would not be where they are, because at some point in time they jumped persons as well to get there. So it is always good when you are at the receiving end, but when you are not at the receiving end, you want to challenge and these sorts of things. I see some of them trying to look at the case with the two DCPs, Mr. Rosado and Mr. Jones, that is currently before the court. But they need to understand the essence between the case with Jones and Rosado, it is not a matter of seniority, it is a matter that Jones is contending that Mr. Rosado’s promotion did not follow the process as outlined in the regulations and policy manual. That is the gist of that matter, it has nothing to do with whether Rosado has senior Bart at one point in time, no.”