Top cops to be promoted

Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter

Police Commissioner Owen Ellington has recommended the promotion of several officers in tandem with the many transfers he announced yesterday.

There has been no word on the promotions from Ellington, but police sources yesterday confirmed that a number of men and women have been recommended to move up.

"The Commissioner has decided that there are eight divisions to be led by a Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), so he has asked the Police Services Commission to promote the Superintendents who head these divisions," a reliable source told The Gleaner yesterday.

"These Senior Superintendents will be supported by a team of Superintendents and Deputy Superintendents, so there will be promotions all around," the source added.

Among the divisions to be headed by a SSP are St James, Clarendon, St Andrew South and the two St Catherine divisions.

The other divisions to be headed by SSPs are Kingston Western, St Andrew Central and St Ann.

This means that Linette Williams-Martin, who has been shifted from Trelawny to St James, is up for promotion.

Well-known crime fighters

Others recommended for promotion to the rank of SSP are well-known crime fighters Delroy Hewitt, who remains in charge of St Andrew South; Derrick 'Cowboy' Knight, who continues to lead St Andrew Central; and Terrence Bent, who has been shifted to the Kingston Western Division.

Superintendent Colin Pinnock, who has been moved to St Catherine South, is also up for promotion as is Anthony Castelle, who remains at St Catherine North.

Another popular cop, Superintendent Dathan Henry, who heads the Clarendon Police is also up for promotion as is Deputy Superintendent Arthur Brown, who is to be replaced as the head of the Kingston Western police but will remain in the division in a senior role.

St Ann is now to be headed by SSP Carlton Wilson, so there was no need for Ellington to recommend a promotion in his case.

It is expected that the Police Services Commission will give the green light for the promotions before the transfers become effective on January 17 and 20.

Other transfers announced by Ellington in the Force Orders published yesterday include Assistant Commissioner (ACP) Novelette Grant, who will leave the Strategic Review Implementation Team (SRIT) to head the challenging Police Area Five Headquarters.

Police Area Five comprises the divisions of St Andrew North, St Catherine South, St Catherine North and St Thomas.

SSP Dormah Harrison will take over the leadership of SRIT.

Inspector General

In the meantime, ACP Delworth Heath is to become the new Inspector General of the Force replacing Deputy Commissioner Charles Scarlett, who begins his retirement in early January.

Heath is now the head of training at the Jamaica Police Academy and he will be replaced by ACP Clifford Blake.

ACP Kingsley Robinson, now in charge of Police Area Three, will move to the Inspectorate with SSP Derrick Cochrane taking control of Area Three.

Another ACP, Leon Rose, who now heads the Mobile Reserve, is moving to the Services Branch with SSP George Quallo replacing him.

Former traffic boss SSP Elan Powell has been shifted to the headquarters of Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) from the Jamaica Constabulary Staff College.

SSP Wray Palmer has been moved from heading Area Five to the Operations Branch, while SSP Donovan Graham moves from the Mobile Reserve to Area Four where he will report to ACP Gervis Taylor who remains in place.