Major Restructuring Announced for Police High Command in St. Vincent
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, St Clair Leacock, has revealed a sweeping series of changes and promotions coming to the high command of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force. The shakeup arrives as several senior officers prepare to resign or proceed on leave, triggering a cascade of leadership adjustments.
The highest levels of the force will see immediate transitions. Frankie Joseph, who is currently acting as the Commissioner of Police while the official commissioner is on leave, will himself be proceeding on leave soon. In his absence, Trevor “Buju” Bailey will step in to act as Deputy Commissioner of Police.
Simultaneously, the government is filling a second deputy position provided for in the national estimates. Superintendent Dwayne Bailey will be elevated to Deputy Commissioner, a move Leacock described as essential for strengthening the force’s operational capacity to deal with “bad actors”.
The rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) is also seeing an influx of new leadership:
- Brenton Smith is receiving a “big jump” past the ranks of inspector and superintendent to become an ACP, where he will be tasked with overhauling the force’s human resources and fixing systemic promotional disparities.
- Superintendent Junior Simmons is also being promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police.
Leacock noted that because current ACP Benjamin is currently on leave, these new officers will officially serve in an acting capacity until Benjamin’s leave expires and the posts are cleared.
The Minister emphasized that these top-level movements would have a positive ripple effect throughout the entire organization. By shifting the headship of the police force, numerous positions will become available across the board, triggering a wave of promotions for superintendents, inspectors, sergeants, corporals, and constables. Additionally, the force is in the advanced stages of a new recruitment drive to further bolster its ranks.