Hicken cannot be promoted to police commissioner – human resources expert

Last Updated on Monday, 7 October 2024, 21:17 by Writer

Assistant Police Commissioner, Clifton Hicken cannot be promoted to the position of police commissioner because he has already reached retirement age, Human Resources Consultant, Earl John said Monday.

“There is no precedent for it in which you could get promoted while you are actually retired,” Mr John told Demerara Waves Online News. He said “there is no case” for a promotion.

Mr Hicken was appointed to act as police commissioner in March, 2022 when he was 53 years old but he reached the mandatory retirement age of 55 in July, 2023. Asked in August, 2023 about the future of Mr Hicken, President Irfaan Ali had said that “I have already issued a letter extending the services of the Commissioner of Police to a date to be determined.”

While the mandatory retirement age for the police commissioner is 55 years, the 1967 Constitution (Prescribed Matters) Act allows for the police commissioner to remain in office until aged 60 as may have been agreed with the officer holder before he or she had reached 55 years.

Last month, despite Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton’s objections to Mr Hicken being confirmed as police commissioner on several grounds, Minister of Governance Gail Teixeira credited the police force under Mr Hicken’s command for reducing crime and said that “it is in the public interest and in the interest of national security that Mr Hicken be appointed Commissioner of Police.”

Guyana’s Constitution states that the President is empowered to appoint a police commissioner after meaningful consultation with the
leader of the opposition and the chairperson of the Police Service Commission after the chairperson has consulted with the other members of the Commission.

The Constitution also states that the President can appoint an acting police commissioner until a substantive appointment has been made or the substantive office holder resumes those functions.