Police union asks president to replace police commissioner

The Surinamese Police Union has sent a letter to President Desi Bouterse to announce that it no longer has faith in the police commissioner. Union Chairman Raoul Hellings pointed out that several agreements were reached with the police commissioner in the presence of the minister of Justice and Police but that he has noticed that the police commissioner does not stick to its part of the agreements and that a different interpretation is given to things. Hellings referred to the work schedule on national holidays and that police officers are supposed to receive double the payment for every hour that they were on duty regardless of the fact that the hours were either part of the regular work schedule or overtime. The union official explained that the police commissioner reportedly does not sign off on the order to give double payment. Hellings pointed out that police officers must still receive payment for having worked overtime.

Hellings pointed out that the union has also discussed the position of students of the last inspector training. The police commissioner had reportedly agreed to address the matter but has failed to do so. A new list would be drawn up of the students who would be promoted but the union never received a copy of the list. The police commissioner has already sent the list to the minister. “This is a clear indication that she does not take the union seriously. We can’t work with such a police commissioner,” said the union official who added that the union no longer wants to discuss legal matters with the police commissioner because “she can’t be trusted.” The police union has not yet given an ultimatum for its request to have the police commissioner replaced. “We have made it clear that we want certain matter to be addressed. One of them is that we want another police commissioner,” said the union official who added that it has become clear that the police commissioner is not capable of leading the police force.