By Leroy Smith
Former Minister of Public Security under the A Partnership for National Unity Coalition Government and Leader of the Alliance for Change, a major partner in the APNU Coalition, is of the view that Clifton Anthony Hicken will do well as the country’s Top Cop.
Ramjattan’s position on the issue of Hicken as Top Cop appears more reasoned and measured compared to his party’s partner, the Peoples National Congress Reform which came out swinging at Hicken and the Government of Guyana following the official announcement that Hicken has been appointed to act as Commissioner of Police. The PNCR has made known it’s intentions to challenge the appointment in the courts.
“The appointment is at the behest of the President of the country and the Public Security Minister. There is no Police Service Commission or Leader of the Opposition but the commendation of recommendations of the Minister of Home Affairs plus the president can see an acting appointment in whosoever they desire” Ramjattan told BIG Smith News Watch in an invited comment.
Clifton Hicken has served the Guyana Police Force in many capacities and has enjoyed a wide range of professional exposure which has added to his overall ability to lead the Guyana Police Force coupled with his ability to connect with the lower ranks and even members of the public.
“You will need to have somebody that is acting, and that decision making is at the behest of the president and his advisor on security… the Home Affairs Minister, and I rather suspect that they would have recommended Hicken as against any other person. He was an Assistant Commissioner you know; I will act in the presumption that he will serve properly. As to whether he will do a proficient competent job, I rather suspect that he will” The former Minister of Public security Ramjattan said on Hicken’s appointment as Commissioner of Police.
Hicken is publicly known for his community engagements across the police divisions in Berbice, West Demerara, and Georgetown where he supervised the establishment of dozens of youth groups that saw the communities and police working hand in hand on social crime prevention programs.
Those initiatives entailed having capacity-building workshops and activities that helped the communities to focus more on meaningful engagements while at the same time reducing the instances of crime in those communities.