Christie Slams Ingraham Over Mass Retirement of Police!

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Former Prime Minister Perry Christie telling Ingraham to set in skin down and listen. (file photo)

Nassau, Bahamas: Former Prime Minister Perry Christie has taken on Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham with his government’s decision to retire scores of senior officers from the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

The officers will join others throughout the public service, SENT HOME along with the terminations of over 1,200 temporary workers dismissed in 2007 and early 2008, by Hubert Ingraham’s administration.

Ingraham told residents in 2006 at the construction cite of the Atlantis Cove that he would REDUCE the Civil Service if he is returned to power, then in an about-face told a rally on R.M.Bailey Park, “All government workers need not fear for their jobs under an FNM administration,” WHAT ANOTHER WICKED LIE BY MUGABE! Now police are being sent home under Ingraham’s FNM, in the midst of the hardest CRISIS the world has ever seen!

Again we at Bahamas Press say, INGRAHAM HAS DONE THIS TO THE BAHAMIAN PEOPLE!

Bahamas Press believes Ingraham is preparing to mobilize his “GUSTAPO POLICE Machine” within the Royal Bahamas Police FORCE! IF SO, GOD HELP THE COUNTRY!

___________________________________________________________

STATEMENT BY THE RT. HONOURABLE PERRY G. CHRISTIE, MP
LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION ON POLICE RETIREMENT THURSDAY, 8TH JANUARY, 2009
.

The Progressive Liberal Party wishes to express its serious concern about the involuntary retirements from the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

The actions of the Government in this matter raised immediate issues with regard to the lawfulness of the Government’s conduct. It also raises the issue of the negative effect on the morale of the force.

The last thing the Government should do is to make policies or take actions to undercut the ability of the Force to fight crime.

The Government is put on notice that the Force must not be destabilized by actions which can be interpreted as contrary to the best interests of the Force.

It seems incredible to us that police officers who have constitutional protections, can have them removed without notice. The letters of notice to the officers given by the government only gave each individual forty eight (48) hours to respond.

This has had the effect of stripping away the dignity of these individuals, disrespecting their years of service to the country and adversely affecting their families, their present and future well being. The government’s actions appear to be heartless.

– end –

30 COMMENTS

  1. Press Release below – Regards, Jerome Fitzgerald
    PRESS RELEASE

    The recent termination of 15 senior police officers and the Government’s rationale that it is designed “to boost morale and increase efficiency and put the Police Force in a better position to deal with crime” has created more questions than answers, given the impression of instability instead of stability and raised serious concerns about the future leadership of the Police Force at a time when the Police Force needs a strong, youthful, politically bi-partisan leader who will give Bahamians confidence that the Police Force is headed in the right direction.

    I am deeply concerned and troubled that last year a Commissioner of Police was forced to vacate his office and was replaced by someone older than him, and now younger officers are also being forced to retire, yet the Acting Commissioner remains supposedly the exception to this new rule. This is in the face of arguably two of the brightest sparks in the Police Force returning home from a training course which was to prepare them to lead the Police Force.

    It is interesting to note that one was given a confirmed position while the other, who is senior and by all accounts the most qualified and respected, not only within the Police Force but also in the community at large, was given an “acting” position.

    It would be interesting to know if any of the 15 who were forced to retire support the present Acting Commissioner, and if they do not, who they do support to lead the Police Force. The answer to that question may give more insight as to why these 15 senior officers were forced to retire albeit younger in age and having served less years than the Acting Commissioner.

    It appears that an elaborate scheme was commenced over a year ago with the sole purpose of preventing the most qualified person on the Police Force from becoming Commissioner. The immediate financial burden of this scheme on the public purse by way of gratuity payment is in excess of $2 million, and the early pension claim by these officers will amount to an additional $4.5 million burden on the Treasury..

    As with many decisions the Prime Minister and his Government have made in the past 18 months, the contradictions and fallacies inherent in these decisions show the lack of rationale expected of a responsible clear-thinking Government and have left myself and thousands of Bahamians asking:-

    Why place a $6.5 million burden on the public purse when we can lease afford it?
    Why terminate 15 senior police officers now, when crime continues to be on the rise in every category and we need every officer we can find?
    Why leave the Acting Commissioner in place, who is 63 years old, when there is someone on the Police Force who is younger and more capable of leading the Police Force at this time?

    Why terminate 15 senior police officers now and expose them to the indignity of giving them 48 hours to accept a “package” when the Police Force is divided and morale is at an all time low?

    The Prime Minister and the FNM have yet to give a reasonable answer to these questions, without which one is forced to conclude that the Government is on a crusade to manipulate the personnel makeup of the Force and leave as its head a partisan Acting Commissioner, and in the process the Government is tearing down the foundation of our leading institutions and trampling on the constitutional legal rights of Bahamians.

    Enough is enough!

  2. Rudy I must agree with your comments in post #22… You are so right!!

    It should be about doing the right thing all the time!!

    Other than that Fred asked some important questions…

  3. So what this govt is telling us is that these officers who were forced into retirement were all corrupt and were holding the force back, right..

    Why else would they force these officers to retire if they were doing a good job as the minister, Tommy T always says???

    All I see is more LIES and DECEITFULNESS coming from the FNM..

  4. Joe ….That is the same area that Iam in at the moment I could’t say it any better myself this will indeed take the power of corruption away from the Prime Minister and the cabinet…..This is why the Senate need to be made an independant body that is elected then I would say that any committee as such be made up of Senators and regular persons, that is where you have the right input and right vetting of such persons that is appointed by the Prime Minister… yes the final word will lie with the cabinet but the nation and the people will be better served with this type of selection process.

    I hope that one day we can get to this in our country and put the Nation back on track because we realy need it right now I just hope that we can get it right someday so that our children can have a future that they can look forward too.

  5. rb 45: Perhaps there is a Board of Directors attached to the Police Department, I don’t know and if there is I have no idea how it functions. But I will continue my thoughts as though none exists. A Board of Directors should consist of the COP, a representative of the Ministry and 5 prominent members of the public-one being a lawyer. The 5 should be appointed for a 3 year term with the possibility of a second 3 year term or one might stagger the appointments so there is always a nucleous of persons with some history of the function. One of the mandates of the Board would be to deliberate over and be responsible to appoint all new senior officers including the COP when there are openings. This takes these appointments out of the hands of the politicians. While final approval would be the perogative of the Cabinet, as far as the COP goes, the Cabinet would be obligated to provide very succinct reasons why an appointment that meets with the approval of the Board would not be successful. A similar Board should be appointed for the RBDF and the Dept of Immigration. What do you think?

  6. Rudy you are right the ending part of this statement is totaly out of order when one speak like this it sparks flames of violance and other such attacks that can be grown out of such statements.

    The problem with the Police situation is that this can be seen as either politcal or it is a cleaning of house now in my view the RBPF is a corrupt force and that there needed to be a house cleaning from the top down and that the cowbwebs and dust needed to be blown out of the force …..But I feel that in this case it was more 90% politics and the rest was a night of the long knives as is the way that HAI does business this has nothing to do with The Minister of National Security Tommy Turnquest has to follow the orders of the PM we all know this so does Fread and we can say and talk but reform must come to this country.

    I beleive that the Prime Minister should hold ultimate responsibility for the RBPF and that this is the office that the Prime Minister holds …But we should also have a Parlimentary Committee that sholud approve all of the appointmnets that is made by the Prime Minister and that the hearings should be made public and real questions be put to these men…..The problem here is that we have a government that take such actions and disregard the fallout in th public and take the attitude let the chips fall where they may.

    The fact is that the RBPF has to be cleaned up and cleaned up big time.

  7. Thank you Rudy for that comment! To Objective Thought: The correct wording is as follows: “Some minds are like concrete, thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.” Just for Fred: “Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.”

  8. See, this is my problem with Fred, he was doing okay until he talks about ‘the ultimate revenge’. Why does it have to be about revenge? The Bible says ‘revenge is mine says the Lord’. We need to be encouraged to do the right thing and not worry about pay back. That is why we have so much hate in this world, and recently we have seen it so much from our political leadership. This, ‘I got you back!’ Fred appears to admire Obama, well perhaps he need to really listen to his message, it was never one of revenge but more of unity and hope.

  9. News Statement by
    FRED MITCHELL MP
    OPPOSITION SPOKESMAN ON THE PUBLIC SERVICE

    Sunday 11th January, 2009
    For immediate release

    Tommy Turnquest, the National Security Minister, is wrong to say that the decision by the 15 police officers to leave the Royal Bahamas Police Force at the invitation of the Government was a voluntary one. The decision was made by each of the officers with a gun to their heads. They had been informed by the leadership of the Force that if they did not accept the package they would be dismissed. In the face of that threat all of them capitulated.

    This is the pattern with this government. A similar threat was made to Immigration Officers who were recently dismissed.

    The country expects Tommy Turnquest, the son of Orville Turnquest, to have the background and understanding to know better than what he now sanctions. He should not support Hubert Ingraham, his Prime Minister in this folly and should apologize to the men and the woman dismissed for the manner in which they were treated by the FNM administration of which he is a part. It is never too late to make amends. It is the height of political hypocrisy for Mr. Turnquest to appear with the Police Force on parade as he is today while the Force has been decimated as a result of his government’s actions and the morale of the Force is at an all time low.

    The officers who were dismissed should know that it is not too late to take legal action. If the Government’s actions are unlawful there is still an opportunity to seek redress, even if you accept the money.

    Mr. Turnquest and the Prime Minister must answer the following:
    How can the Minister say on the one hand say that he wishes to fight crime and on the other hand fire from the Force experienced crime fighters. He must provide a rational explanation for this.
    How does a 63 year old Commissioner of Police and a 61 year old Prime Minister tell 55 year old Officers that because of their age they ought to go home?
    This is the same Commissioner of Police who was condemned by the Commission of Inquiry into the Lorequin Incident of 1992 for botching the investigation into the disappearance of 50 packages of cocaine that went missing in a DEA/RBPF controlled operation.
    Was the list dispassionately and impartially chosen, when it is known that mainly PLP officers on the Force were targeted for dismissal and in the case of those who supported the FNM, they were targeted because they stood up to the Commissioner.
    Will the Minister please explain why the usual courtesies were not allowed these officers to say farewell to their colleagues as is the convention in the Force? Instead they were instructed to turn in all of their uniforms and police equipment by Friday afternoon, with no opportunity to participate in the final police parade.
    The point here is that what the government has done is unlawful, unseemly and ungracious. They have embarrassed these individuals, stripped them of their dignity and condemned them to holding their heads down as if they have done something wrong, when nothing of the kind has been said. The children and grandchildren of these officers will remember the Prime Minister and his Minister of National Security for what they did last week to their fathers, mother and grandfathers and grandmother.

    The PLP stands with these aggrieved officers as we do with any one who has a grievance against this administration. We stand ready to help.

    I urge the officers to stand tall and encourage them and their families to work with us to help remove the Free National Movement from power. That is the ultimate revenge in this matter.

    — end —

  10. You are free poorman to post and copy for all of us to see. Just as you have posted your comment on here.

    Bahamas Press is for all views wished to be expressed by others. All we say is this site is rated G!

    BP

  11. @media

    By the way, I would be most pleased if you would find the time to read my recent blog on B2B if you want to discuss the merits of “cherry picking” and how it can adversely affect us all. Infact, feel free to put it on this site for others to view. PEACE

  12. Quite likely. I am not one to make commentary on such things, never having been a member of any union. I have never approved of unions and believe they permit those of us in society who have poor work ethic to cry “foul” on their employers at the drop of a hat. Once again these are organizations, (while pertaining to assist their members), that are often a complete sham. It is all about attitude. Whatever our chosen profession we should endeavour to do our best, and do it with a smile. Those of us who are currently employed should be grateful for the privilege. The rest of us should strive to do better and perhaps become indispensible to our next employer. PEACE

  13. Poorman you must agree however that those workers of the Sandals resort, which were terminated and included the entire union executive was a Cherry picking exercise?

    BP

  14. @media
    Get with the programme folk. It’s obviously not about age but performance. The poor man surely has his work cut out for him at present. Have any of you been paying attention to the crime rate in this country? (No blaming on either administration please, since neither have kept it under control to date!) Not to mention our pathetic judiciary. If our PM feels Ferguson is the man for the job, then so be it. Do you think all those hotels laying off employees are not “cherry picking”
    too? A curious expression a friend enjoys using sums it all up – NEEDS MUST.

    By the way slagging people off all the time is just plain boorish and ignorant. PEACE.

  15. the silence surrounding the s&p report speaks to the worthlessness of media in this country. It seems like there is a fear amongs’t journalist in this country to even question the prime minister

    The fnm who has no legacy besides opening the airwaves has done the bahamian populace a grave disservice in the way that they govern poor johnley ferguson he doesn’t know what the hell is going on

  16. Well Joe Blow one thig is clear and that is, you don’t support the PLP or PC!! You try at times to appear to be neutral but sadly you don’t come across as such because you spend 99% or you time defending the FNM, HI and all their WICKED practices!!

    For your information, WRONG is WRONG and it does not make sense trying to defend the indefensible!!! Your comments are rarely fair especially when it comes to the PLP…

  17. Media, I think that it was during the mid-term budget last February when the former MOW Earl Devaux bragged about the 80 million (his figure) that his govt either stopped, reviewed or cancelled that were signed by the former govt just prior to election 2007.. And he named them!!

    Then Laing is asking for the persons who produced the S&P report to produce evidence of the 80 million in capital works that were stopped, reviewed or cancelled??? How stupid could one be when it was said by one of his colleagues and not only the PLP??

  18. Well said Objective Thought. But some of these “BLOCK Heads” like fire soo much, they in the background like a chours singing, “MORE FIRE! MORE FIRE!” They are all sad cases of the STUPIDITY we see in this country! They are so locked in their ways with their rebel political colours on, I sincerely believe some have requested to be cremated. Well so much loves FIRE, I hope they like the red devil when they see him also.

    Here is another example of “BLOCK HEADS” in OPERATION. And we mean ‘BLOCK HEAD’ in this also, what ‘DUMBNESS’ took all when that road “MILO BUTLER HIGHWAY” was decided to run to Carmichael Road. A four lane highway runs into a two lane BUSY roadway? Causing a crazy GRIDLOCK all day WITH RED LIGHTS less than a block apart? I mean, commonsense should tell them that this should be a round-a-bout, allowing motorist to enter and exit the new highway extension continuously! BUT NO, they placed stop lights in the area, to JAM TRAFFIC, BOY WE SMART ECH? MORE GAS TO BURN, MORE TAX DOLLARS TO COUGH UP!

    Where are the letter writers in this country to discuss that issue? Again, ONLY ON BAHAMAS PRESS, REAL NEWS!

    Bahamas Press/Editors

  19. Whilst JOE scoffed at a correction in our response to him, we notice his above continued rejection to the fact that HUBERT INGRAHAM has sent officers home. However, in his response where he has charged us with the lack of proper gramactical correctness, he makes an error. Hmmmm, BLOCK writing we guess.

    However, even if we provided those details as mentioned and SPELT THEM OUT SLOWLY to you JOE BLOW, you still would not agree with what we said. And even in this case, you seek to SPIN or try to dismiss what is FACT! Most ‘Toilet Paper’ subscribers do that you know.

    We stand by our statements, we have seen the letters of the officers, like other letters we have also seen. And these are not the first set of letters given to the officers. We have spoken with several of the officers, two to be exact, and YES we are aware of the dollar value on some of the packages. And we have read both leaders response to the issue. And foremost to this issue, we know the law as it applies to RBPF officers retirement ages.

    However we AGAIN ask, why be selective to the law and NOT send home the Commissioner? Mr. Ferguson is 14 years older then a 55 year old officer. Should not the law ALSO APPLY TO HIM? Is that not that being SELECTIVE? Is that NOT Cherry PICKING? IS THAT NOT A SLAUGHTER OF younger officers whilst OLDER ONES REMAIN?

    What are you suggesting JOE BLOW? Should you now find a better word to express what INGRAHAM did? I think we should call it a ‘Police Cleansing’ as seen in Rawanda, oh sorry the Bahamas.

    Bahamas Press/ Editor

  20. Media that’s just cold…but TRUE!! I hope you don’t have any of that copywrited because I plan to use bits and pieces of that for years to come!!

    I always listen to FNMs calling PLPs diehards as if the FNM does not have any!! They are all LIARS, DECEIVERS, and FALSE PRETENDERS!! Nah I ain saying that there are none in the PLP but the vast majority of PLPs care about this country and will die for it!!

    How can a person hire another to head an organization who is either just as old or older than persons that are being forced to retire???

    These FNMs have NO shame.. Then there is Tommy…..?… It seems like HI will make sure that he never becomes PM in this country ever!!! HI continues to make stupid decisions and make stupid statements and sit back while the other loosers in the party try to defend what he said or did, one of which is Tommy….who is just sucking up if you ask me… Anyway that is probably why he is keeping his job aye??

    Another is Laing… Now he is another sad case… To defend HI’s dumb decisions, he decides to challenge the S&P report. (How dumb could one be??)

    Can you imagine PC telling HI that he is too old to be PM while he is leader of the PLP????

    Oh, and happy new year to all…

  21. Media: Do you have a copy of the letter sent to the mentioned Police Officers? If you do share it with us. Do you have the regulations regarding the mandatory age for retirement? If so share it with us. Do you know what the “package” contains? If so share it with us. Have you interviewed even one of the officers? If so share with us his/her feelings about the letter. Have you interviewed the Officers’ professional representative? If so share the Reps thoughts with us.
    You publish a file photo and caption it as P.C.telling H.A.I. ” to set in skin down and listen”. Were you privy to what was being said ? Also do you ever follow the journalistic practice of editing for grammatical correctness and spelling? (in for his) If your purpose was to try to stimulate a discussion about the propriety of the retirements, you certainly fell short. When you receive a reply do you read it carefully? Is it possible to stick to the subject you present and refrain from bringing in comments that are irrelevant to the article? If you do not like or approve of P.C. or H.A.I. or others, must you childishly call them derogatory names? An article has a PURPOSE (the mass early retirement letter) Facts CLARIFYING related issues follow(refer to my questions and try to provide the answers).Next EDITORIAL COMMENT(your views of the facts minus the derogatory remarks and name-calling) You could be much more professional in your attitude and demeanour. Personally. I try not to call anyone unflattering names nor do I make assumptions about where their loyalties might lay or what type of character traits they have. I do not take what you say in your reply personally because, as my Mother was mindful to say “before you respond in a like manner, think of the source, and that will dictate your reply.” A thought for you to ponder. ” it is those who have a deep and real inner life who are best able to deal with the irritating details of outer life”

  22. Now we cannot speak for PC the “PUSSY CAT” but to suggest that our comments on the involuntary retirement of police officers as INUENDO, Assumptions, Pompous RHETORIC by you Joe Blow, leaves much to be desired.

    This cannot be the same JOE BLOW “the plumber” who suggests that a fellow blogger called him a homosexual when a comment on this blog suggested that he was being a ‘LOTION BOY’ for the FNM? Or that was another blogger?

    Joe your bellicose statements against our commentary are worthy of a SHARP REBUKE! IT’S the HEIGHT OF STUPIDITY, ASSININITY and is an OPAQUELY BLIND BIAS CONCLUSION in SUPPORT OF HUBERT INGRAHAM’S WICKED ACTIONS ON THE ROYAL BAHAMAS POLICE FORCE and its hardworking officers.

    Let’s not forget now it was Bahamas Press who warned Tommy Turnquest of the plot by Ingraham to hijack his political future with the Bahamas people, but we believe some people, like TOMMY and hardcore FNMs like yourself ‘JOE BLOW’ are suckers for punishment!

    What a nauseating statement you make when you suggest that our comments do not present correctness. WHAT ARE YOU SAYING HERE JOE BLOW?

    INGRAHAM FIRED, SENT HOME, RETIRED POLICE OFFICERS in the RBPF!

    INGRAHAM cherry pick-ed those officers!

    INGRAHAM’s communication to those officers was either you resign or you will be retired.

    And guess who made these announcements, YES JOE BLOW (THE DECEPTOR OF ALL MANKIND) The MINISTRY OF NATIONAL SECURITY! Did you think we made this up like the ‘Toilet Paper’? You’re reading the wrong publication ‘ma brother’ when you come on here attacking us of presenting INUENDO, Assumptions, and Pompous RHETORIC. The editor of ‘Toilet Paper’, the morning daily is the practitioner of that kind of WUTLESS GUTTER JOURNALISM, NOT Bahamas Press!

    Now we would have published the statement issued from the Office of the Prime Minister, but that 80 plus year-old director at BIS, who has no eyebrow, and that camera clicking lady photographer who bend to all of the prime minister wishes, still deny us the rights to BIS releases. And so whilst we still read their material, we refuse to publish that statement sent out by both pinheads!

    The FACT is that INGRAHAM has allowed Reginald Ferguson an additional year on the RBPF! Ferguson is not 55, 58, nor 60, BUT is 64 years of age!

    Now if Ingraham believes that officers should be sent home at age 55, then we MUST ALSO AGREE THAT PARLIMENTARIANS SHOULD GO HOME AT 55. And if that is so then Hubert Ingraham and Perry Christie should start packing their political sacks eh?

    BUT JOE BLOW, you’re the type that has a brain mixed in mortar that has hardened to concrete when it comes to anything against Ingraham and the FNM. And for example in our above statement you would agree that Christie should go, but Hubert should remain. We understand it’s what we call one having a ‘BLOCK HEAD’!

    Bahamas Press/Editor

  23. My critique of BP and PC was in their approach to the subject. Inuendo, assumptions and pompous rhetoric have never persuaded me as to the correctness of any matter. You might have the facts first hand but there appeared no facts in the article, just some old misleading statements and name-calling that we have heard ad nauseum. Much as I might want to believe your statements you also have not produced any evidence that would persuade me that you are correct in your assumptions. I am just Joe Blow Public-no axe to grind, no political affiliation; just a seeker after some facts so I can come to my own conclusions. I do have observations to make however based solely on what I hear and believe from reliable sources and acknowledge there are not too many honest journalists, politicians or die-hard members of either politcal party. I can match my integrity, thought process and general knowledge against yours at all times and come out the winner. You are the one frozen in time and until you thaw out and stop spouting your party dogma you will never be an asset to this country nor an agent for the change that this country so desperately needs to move forward.

  24. Joe, you must have gotten your FNM check in the mail eh? BP called it correctly because what Ingraham is doing is wrong with the police force. I know this situation first hand my friend and trust me, there is nothing in this that suggests any kind of order or fairness in this exercise. It was a witch hunt, simple and plain.

    Here are some facts you may have chosen to ignore. How old is Reginald Ferguson? How long has he been on the Force? Ferguson is in his mid sixties and has served going on 45 years. He meets the criteria for retirement on both counts and what did Ingraham do? Reward him by making him COP. If they were being fair, Reg would have been the first to go, but he is FNM royalty and double dealing snitch just like confidential informant #1622.

    Another thing to consider and I wonder why BP hasn’t done more on this is the fact that the firings come not less than a week after a senior officer went on record saying that Reg and senior politicians on the government side routinely interrupt investigations involving their family members. Reg’s sons are well known as lawbreakers and trouble makers and have been involved in some serious matters that should have had them behind bars but nothing ever happens. BP, remember how the QC sex scandal was not investigated? How much you want to bet that wasn’t stopped in its tracks by these people. Now they fired the senior officers to make sure they got the ones who spoke up out of the system so that their corruption can continue. Joe, you need to stop inhaling that torch fluid and see what time it is. Tell me why Reginald ain’t gone and you better make sense.

  25. In re-reading P.C.’s statement I have reached the conclusion that he is responding to something he has no knowledge of or he is merely being obscurant (an opponent of inquiry,enlightenment and reform or one who deliberately avoids clarity). It’s time he ascertains the facts before muddying the waters. He calls for change but doesn’t want changes.
    As to the B.P. article, it appears to be nothing more than “rabble-rousing” nonsense. I expect better of you! You can’t continue to call the kettle(Tribune)black when you yourself present tripe like this.

  26. The current heads of the armed services (RBDF, RBPF) in this country are either afraid to lead or tainted by politics. They know exactly who the crooks are in their ranks but wont do anything because of fear or politics.

    The Controller of Customs needs to go too cause too much fishiness going on in that department. How you caould have customs officers who living in big house out East and West and their government salary is less than $35k. Something wrong…

  27. The Seniors to be know the law…all of these junior Police Officers are currupted. Keep some of those Seniors to help keep the integrity of the RBPF. tzhis should be beyong Politics. To many things involve Politics in this country. We need to step away from that.

  28. PB: We need a few facts. Is there a mandatory age for retirement from the Police service? If it is 55, as some claim and those persons have reached that age then the letter is acceptable. If the officers in question have an opportunity to take early retirement at age 55, but may stay till a later date, then the letter is appropriate. Your article leaves much to be desired where information to make a reasonable response is needed. As to another matter of the 1200 everyone refers to, may I remind you that they were under CONTRACT and when the contract ends there is no obligation to keep those persons on. Further their hiring continues to be suspect as it appears to have been an election time ploy.

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