By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

POLICE Commissioner Ellison Greenslade said he was “insulted” by criticism of Steven Seymour’s promotion to Assistant Commissioner of Police.

Police press liaison officer Chrislyn Skippings announced on Wednesday that the former Chief Superintendent had assumed the rank of Assistant Commissioner, retroactively from July 1.

Since the announcement, it has been speculated that Mr Seymour, who had been formally retired but was brought back as head of the reservists in May, is not as qualified for the post as some officers still on active duty.

The opposition FNM issued a statement accusing the PLP government of focusing on “jobs for the boys” yet again, and calling the appointment a “brazen display of political favouritism.”

Speaking at a press conference, Mr Greenslade said he personally selected Mr Seymour for the position and it is unfair for people to call the appointment politically motivated. “That is insulting,” he said. “It is insulting to me because I deem myself to be a credible leader of an organisation which has a rich legacy dating back to 1840. And as Commissioner of Police I offered my firm recommendation to my minister and to the Prime Minister of the country.

“I believe it is unfair to a decent working son of the soil, who has toiled for over 30 odd years, in a place known as a CID and has delivered tremendously good results and has continued to do. I am pleased to have him on board.”

Mr Greenslade also said that rehiring a retired officer is nothing new, but something that is done throughout the Caribbean.

“If you were to do some research you would find that in places like Jamaica, most of the Deputy Commissioners are on very short term contracts, they completed their tenure, retired with their benefits and took an option to come back on because they were still relatively young.

“The feeling on the part of many is that you have invested so much money through the course of this career, so a relatively young person shouldn’t just sit at home when there is a country struggling with issues around safety and security,” he said.
“I believe we have got it right and I believe we must be decent to our people. Each time I am asked about what is wrong, I say what is wrong is the disrespect we offer to one another. We should affirm our children and we should affirm our people. Mr Seymour is a Bahamian just like these other distinguished officers in uniform.”

The Commissioner also announced that ACP Seymour will now have responsibility for the Mobile and Patrol Division – giving him the title of Officer in Charge of Operational Support Services.

“He has a full responsibility for the mobile patrol division, executions department, selective enforcement teams, speciality and response units looking at bank patrols to ensure that there are no bank robberies, with heavily armed and very competent police officers.

“Added to that, we have one or two other support areas like the traffic department and so Mr Seymour has tremendous resources at his disposal and his role is to support the uniform division and the CID at the centre.
“We repose in him the greatest confidence and welcome him on board,” Mr Greenslade said.

But in its statement yesterday, the FNM claimed the move has upset dozens of hard working officers who have “played by the rules, worked their way through the ranks of the force and who are still waiting for their promotions.”

The statement said: “Mr Seymour, who serves in the Prime Minister’s protective detail, retired from the force during the FNM’s last term in office. He left willingly, without pressure from the government.

“He left to pursue what he believed were greater opportunities in the private sector. He left to work for City Markets after the company had been sold to Bahamian interests. The City Markets venture subsequently failed.

“We understand that upon his departure from the Force, Mr Seymour received all appropriate benefits, including gratuities. As with other retirees, he is presently receiving a police pension.

“Mr Seymour’s re-entry to the Police Force was as a reservist, a privilege the Christie government has afforded to numerous former superintendents and assistant commissioners of police.

“This extraordinary promotion is highly unusual for the Police Force, but it is regrettably consistent with the PLP’s style of governance. It provides a clear opportunity for members of the public in general and police officers in particular to contrast the two administration’s approaches to managing the uniformed branches of government.”