This was revealed by the present Commissioner of Police Michael Matthews during his final appearance at the recently held police recognition ceremony luncheon.

He said: “As I stand here today talking to you, the Police Service Commission are interviewing for my successor and whoever that will be, I hope that he or she will continue the good work of doing their best to support the men and the women of this force.”

He added: “The Commissioner’s job at the end of the day is to do their best and to make sure that you have the right conditions, the right training, the right equipment and the right level of support to do the job that we are asking you to do.”

Commissioner Matthews also thanked his law enforcement officers for their continued support and dedication to servicing the community during his tenure as top cop.

“I can’t say that it has always worked how I would’ve liked and I can’t say that we have achieved everything I would’ve liked to achieve in my time here, but what I can say is that I am extraordinarily proud of the men and women of this force and what you’ve been asked to do, and how you’ve responded to it,” he stated.

Outstanding leadership

Deputy Commissioner of Police Alwin James spoke to Matthews’ leadership in the past four years, labelling it as outstanding with the many milestones achieved during his tenure.

“He has grown the organisation so he got permission from the government to grow our establishment by an additional 45 officers. We haven’t reached that yet but it’s there on paper and agreed to. He was able to introduce body-worn cameras, he was able to able grow our capacity and capabilities as it relates to firearm training, public order and I can go on with quite a few others,” James stated.

Matthews’ contract was initially set to expire in April 2019 but was extended for an additional two-year period following the advice of the National Security Council as well as the recommendation from the Police Service Commission.

While the public awaits the announcement of the territory’s new top cop, Superintendent Jacqueline Vanterpool is among the names that has been frequently touted as a suitable candidate for the post.

Vanterpool completed a Strategic Command Program in the United Kingdom earlier this year, which is a training programme designed for future Commissioners of Police.