By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.ent

NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames yesterday defended the promotion of three high ranking officers to Assistant Commissioner positions, insisting the move was necessary to support the new police chief and his efforts to protect the Bahamian people.

Police Commissioner Anthony Ferguson signed a force order on Monday promoting Chief Superintendents Loretta Mackey, Craig Stubbs and Solomon Cash to ACP, bringing the total number of ACPs to eight.

Meanwhile, Kirkwood Andrews was promoted to Acting Assistant Commissioner.

A manpower audit ordered by the Minnis administration in 2018 suggested there only needed to be six ACPs.

Asked yesterday if the promotions are hypocritical considering the findings of the audit, the minister firmly replied: “No, it’s not.”

“We would’ve made some representation and it was a very delicate balance. What we’re seeking to do is support the commissioner,” he told reporters outside of Cabinet.

“We want to see him succeed. That’s our goal and so when you look at the numbers, it was no way compared to where the numbers were previously. We are transitioning (and) more changes are to come.

“We have to set these agencies on the path for the future. That’s our objective.”

He continued: “Our objective is to have agencies who can respond to the needs of the Bahamian people and so I would’ve had many number of discussions with the commissioner and he would’ve made representations as would’ve made representations as to how he envision the force while he sits at the top.”

Last year, the Minnis administration directed eight senior officers to take vacation leave as part of a move to restructure the force.

Three of those officers have since retired, while three others have returned from vacation leave but have been transferred to other government agencies.

However, it is unclear what the future holds for Royal Bahamas Defence Force Commodore Tellis Bethel, who began his leave on October 15, 2019.

Asked by The Tribune on the matter yesterday, the Mount Moriah MP said: “We’re in the midst of this COVID-19 crisis now and so his leave has been extended until the end of this month and as decisions are made, we will most certainly keep the Bahamian people up to date.”

Wayne Munroe, lawyer for the three senior officers who have returned from leave, criticised the new promotions, saying they prove his clients were sidelined for disingenuous reasons.

“If six is your optimal number of assistant commissioners and you can’t dismiss the three persons who are there, how then do you justify appointing anything more than an additional two ACPs?” Mr Munroe said on Monday. “Not to mention It would seem like a waste of resources at a time when public resources are scarce.”

However, yesterday, Mr Dames maintained the decision to promote the officers was made to support newly appointed Commissioner Paul Rolle and the police force at large.

Mr Dames said: “…You know when we inherited the agencies, we had to make some wholesale changes and adjustments and we’re still doing that. And as we do that, there has to be some give and take.

“And we want to support the commissioner and his executive team and the men and women of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and so, we’re listening and it’s very compelling and we will continue to do what we need to ensure that we have agencies that can deliver for the people of this country.

“That’s our primary objective for the government.”