The Public Service Commission (PSC) in Grenada has appointed Superintendents Vannie Curwen and Randy Connaught to the vacant positions of Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF).
Informed sources told THE NEW TODAY that the promotions of Curwen and Connaught were approved at Monday’s weekly sitting of the Commission headed by female attorney-at-law Debra St Bernard.
One knowledgeable source said that the two senior police officers will have to serve in the positions for at least one year before the PSC can confirm them to the positions in the High Command of the Police Force.
Supt. Curwen has been the most senior Superintendent of Police for several years and was often overlooked for promotion to the ACP rank under the former New National Party (NNP) government of defeated Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell.
He is the current officer in charge of crimes in the force and had stints as heads of the Prosecution Department and Community Relations Department.
Supt. Connaught served for many years in the Immigration Department and was also put in charge of the Traffic Department on the Carenage in St George.
His name has also come up in high-level quarters as one of the officers who is under consideration to eventually become the island’s chief cop in the coming years.
According to the source, the elevation of both Superintendents to the ACP rank is intended to strengthen the hands of Acting Commissioner of Police Don McKenzie who is now running the force in the absence of the substantive holder of the post of chief cop, Edvin Martin who is out on sick leave.
RGPF is said to be divided along political lines with most of the top sensitive positions in the force in the hands of officers considered to be aligned to the defeated New National Party (NNP) of ex-Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Tafawa Pierre is the husband of the former NNP Minister of Education Emmalin Pierre and is currently on leave on instructions from PSC.
Prior to the elevation of Supts Curwen and Connaught, the only person occupying an ACP position in the force is John Mitchell, a cousin to former Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell.
The nearly nine-month old Congress administration has been facing calls from party members and supporters to make significant changes in RGPF in order to lessen the influence of officers holding key positions who are associated with the defeated NNP regime.