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HOME	AUGUST 28th, 2005

Grenada might soon have a new Deputy Commissioner of Police with the current holder of the post, James Clarkson proceeding on holiday leave.

Informed sources told GRENADA TODAY that Clarkson's contract is due to end in the next month and would most likely not be renewed by the Keith Mitchell-led New National Party (NNP) government. According to a well-placed source, a sending-off function was held last Friday at Police Headquarters at Fort George (Rupert) to give a sending off to the island's Number Two police officer.

The source could not give any details on the person most likely to be identified by government to take over the Number Two position within the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) as a replacement for the retiring Clarkson. Clarkson has reached the age of retirement from the public service but was kept on at the force on a month-to-month salary basis.

The source said that Clarkson's continuance in the force will depend on whether recommendations are made to Cabinet for another contract to be given to him by new National Security Minister, Senator Einstein Louison. Clarkson had held the post of Police Commissioner during the 1979-83 reign of the leftwing People's Revolutionary Government (PRG) of late Prime Minister, Maurice Bishop.

He also served in the Ministry of Culture for a number of years under the 1984-90 administration of Herbert Blaize. The 1990-95 National Democratic Congress (NDC) government of Sir Nicholas Brathwaite decided to bring back Clarkson into the police force to help grapple with an increasing crime wave especially the illicit drug trade.