Crime Chief not returning to work

Commissioner of Police Leslie James says a decision was taken to have Crime Chief Lyndon Alves remain on administrative leave until he heads into retirement and a decision will be made soon to appoint a new Crime Chief.

“Mr Alves in on administrative leave and I can say to you that is likely to lead him straight into retirement,” the Police Commissioner told members of the media at the sidelines of an event held at Eve Leary on Friday.

Alves will head into retirement in early February 2020, the News Room was told.

It is unclear why a decision was taken to have the senior cop remain on administrative leave given the fact that he was cleared of any criminal conduct in September following allegations of corruption.

As a matter of fact, the Police Commissioner himself had noted that Alves would have returned to work after finalizing some internal administrative issues.

Alves was sent on leave on June 24, 2019, after allegations of corruption surfaced in the media in the Berbice Division.

An investigation into the allegations was conducted by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) and the senior cop was cleared.

Senior Superintendent Michael Kingston was appointed the acting Crime Chief and according to the Police Commissioner, a decision will be made subsequently to appoint a new Crime Chief.

“Soon a decision will be made whether to confirm the current acting Crime Chief as Crime Chief or whether to have another person put in place.”