The Police Service Commis-sion has initiated the process that could lead to the appointment of Deputy Commissioner of Police Winston Felix as commissioner of police.
Stabroek News understands that an announcement is to be made shortly, following last week's meeting of the commission, which retired deputy commissioner Ivan Crandon chairs. Crandon should have met President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday, but up to press time Stabroek News was unable to confirm whether the consultation had taken place. The constitution provides for the President and Crandon to consult after the latter had consulted with the other members of the commission.
Felix was named commissioner-designate in 2002, following consultations between President Bharrat Jagdeo and then leader of the opposition, the late Desmond Hoyte. The Guyana government had promised to appoint Felix commissioner after he topped a training programme arrang-ed by the British Government for five top officers of the Police Force. The training programme was followed by an interview with President Jagdeo.
Felix's appointment has been pending for some two years. The administration attributed the delay to the absence of a Police Service Commission. The Police Service Commission, as a result of the establishment of the Public Service Commis-sion, was fully constituted earlier this month. The chairman of the Public Service Commission is, by a provision of the constitution, a member of the Police Service Commission. The Attorney General's Chambers had advised that the Police Service Commission could not be legally constituted without the Public Service Commission chairman.
Floyd McDonald, a former deputy commissioner of police (Law Enforcement) has been acting in the position since former commissioner Laurie Lewis retired. McDonald's tenure has been marked by an unprecedented wave of violent crime, numerous extra-judicial killings committed by the police as well as myriad unsolved murders perpetrated by persons unknown. His tenure has been marked too by the killing of a large number of policemen both in the line of duty or off-duty.