Former Deputy Commissioner and current Free National Movement candidate for Mt. Moriah Marvin Dames has called the recent slate of promotions and graduations in the uniform branches sector a sham.
In an interview The Journal on the sidelines of the Free National Movement press conference yesterday afternoon, Mr. Dames minced no words calling the moves a political ploy.
“We should never get to this point in this country. We should have promotions year round and promotions should be based on vacancies and I guarantee you every police officer or just about would love that idea.
“Why do you have to promote around election time?
“Mind you it is good and the officers could do with a few more dollars in their pockets, but even they can see this a sham,” Mr. Dames said.
Dames claimed the PLP is simply rushing to put bodies in different organizations and the candidates are not being properly vetted.
“You look now at their recruiting in the prison, Immigration, Police Force and the Defence Force, they’re rushing to hire bodies.
“You look in many of these agencies and uniform branches, when you speak to recruitment, it must be well thought out, the process must be very extensive and involve extensive background checks and a whole series of things to ensure at the end of the day you are recruiting and getting the best,” Dames said.
Mr. Dames added, under an FNM administration, there would be a complete overhaul in the promotion system.
“The FNM is all for hiring. We love the fact that people are getting promoted, if they deserved to be promoted.
“As far as the police force is concerned, I continue to say what about the outstanding funds that are owed to police officers for working extra hours.
“I continue to call for an establishment. When you have an establishment it tells you what you need for every rank; Assistant Commissioners, Chief Superintendents, Superintendents. But the way I see that it is being done, is that it is just being done ad hoc, because we are in election season,” Mr. Dames said.
Over the weekend, the Royal Bahamas Police Force announced the promotions of two senior police officers to the rank of Deputy Commissioner.
Former Senior Assistant Commissioners Anthony Ferguson and Emrick Seymour received the promotions, which took effect on January 1.
Deputy Commissioner Ferguson heads the RBPF’s Disciplinary Tribunal, Complaints & Corruption Branch, and Force Inspections and Review Branch at Police Headquarters in New Providence.
Deputy Commissioner Seymour heads the Grand Bahama district, which includes the Abaco and Bimini divisions.
