GOVERNMENT is reportedly offering three officers in the hierarchy of the Police Service $200,000 each as an incentive to take early retirement and leave the Police Service.

This is the talk that has been making the round in the Police Service over the past week.

The three top cops are said to be Commissioner of Police (CoP) Trevor Paul, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Glen Roach and Acting DCP Winston Cooper.

The pay-off will be added to their gratuity and they will also get all the benefits that go with retirement.

Two of the officers Paul and Cooper are due to retire next year but they would be allowed to go on their pre-retirement leave from later this year.

“The government does not want these top cops to feel hey are being forced out of office, so they are giving them an incentive to leave,” one officer said.

However, it is not likely they would take up the offer, a reliable police source said.

Sources say the government wants to bring in new blood in the executive of the Police Service to put a dent on the escalating crime rate in the country.

Under the Police Reform legislation, which was passed in Parliament some months ago, the government can take officers from lower ranks and elevate them to ranks from Assistant Commissioner of Police to Commissioner. Appointments can also be made from outside of the Police Service.

There is widespread speculation among police officers that the government also wants to put some of the retired British cops, currently on assignment in TnT, among the top ranks.

“The government was saying they needed the Police Reform Bill to make changes in the Police Service to fight crime, but since the bill was passed, no changes have been made,” a senior officer noted.

“Under Commissioner Paul, the entire Police Service (from constable to senior superintendent) is in court fighting a promotion battle,” he said.

“Morale is at the lowest ever now in the Police Service and frustration is causing a number of police officers to leave,” the senior officer added.

TnT Mirror was told that an officer among the executive rank, Acting Deputy Commissioner Oswyn Allard, recently had his bank account checked by another senior officer but this came up blank.

CoP TREVOR PAUL

DCP WINSTON COOPER

DCP GLEN ROACH

Acting DCP OSWYN
ALLARD ... bank
account checked.

The check was carried out on Allard’s account where his salary passes through.

A source said the authorities have been trying to get Allard out of the Police Service and has even offered him a course abroad, which would have carried him to near his retirement age.

The source said a top official of the Ministry of National Security was responsible for organising the course and is saying he hopes Allard would accept it and not embarrass him (the ministry official).

All attempts to try and get some kind of evidence to “nail” Allard on corruption charges have failed.

Certain cops are accusing colleagues of Allard of spreading vicious rumours about him which some top government officials are believing.

“There is all kinds of back-stabbing going on among certain senior officers,” one lawman revealed.

“Do they feel Allard is holding secrets for his colleagues and for certain government ministers, so dey ‘fraid him,” another officer said.

Investigators even checked the bank account of a former Anti-Kidnapping Squad officer because they claim he was living a life-style not commensurate with his salary.

They also came up empty-handed.

The officer claimed that money he used to buy his sport utility vehicle and for the upkeep of his daughter, who is studying abroad, came from the Police Credit Union.

When contacted, Acting DCP Allard declined to comment except to say: “My hands are clean and have always been clean.”