`It’s an emotional period for me. Whatever action I took was done with the interest of the force in mind; it’s a job that I love, and I love serving people’
Former police superintendent, Simon Mc Bean intends to challenge the action of the Police Service Commission (PSC) after receiving a dismissal letter on Friday over his unauthorized decision to proceed on ‘no pay leave’ to pursue a scholarship.
The 35-year-old Mc Bean told reporters at a media briefing at the New Amsterdam Town Hall on Friday that he was receiving his “full salary” during the disputed period and felt that the matter had been sorted out.
He said that he was not given a hearing on the matter before being given marching orders and that he only learnt that disciplinary action would be taken against him after it was leaked to the press.
He has already spoken to attorney-at-law Patrice Henry, a former service member who was also dismissed after he proceeded to the Hugh Wooding Law School to pursue a degree in law.
According to Mc Bean he secured a scholarship for a Master’s Degree in Global Security at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom between October 1, 2007 and September 30, 2008.
He was awarded the scholarship from a field of 250 persons who applied after it was advertised in the newspapers. He then made a request to the Guyana Police Force for study leave to proceed on the scholarship and was disappointed that it was not granted.
Not wanting to throw away the opportunity, Mc Bean applied for ‘no pay’ leave two months before leaving for the UK but there was no response. He was left with no choice but to proceed on his three-month accumulated annual leave.
After returning he resumed normal duties until he received the dismissal letter from the force on Friday. The letter stated that his service had been terminated as of December 25, 2007, the day after his three-month annual leave ended.
In response to whether he is interested in being reinstated, Mc Bean responded “I am
looking at a lot of options. I am seeing this as a stepping stone…”
He pointed out that towards the ending of the three months he was still not hearing from the force regarding the ‘no pay leave’ to complete the other nine months of the course and suffered emotionally as a result.
After consulting with a specialist he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. He was treated for the condition and the doctor recommended that he “stay on and finish the degree since it would help to improve my condition.”
He subsequently followed the prescribed procedures in submitting sick leave overseas and he completed the scholarship and returned to Guyana on September 14, 2008.
Regarding the dismissal letter, Mc Bean told the media, “It’s an emotional period for me. Whatever action I took was done with the interest of the force in mind; it’s a job that I love, and I love serving people.”
Further, he said, “I hope that the necessary administrative measures be put in place by the force to accommodate police officers who wish to pursue academic enhancement programmes which would in turn benefit the force.”
He said that he has no regrets in pursuing the scholarship as the information received would have made a tremendous difference locally.
“The course that I did was developed following 911 to enhance policing worldwide and I am of the view that the security sector locally would have benefitted. To my knowledge no other (person) locally within the law enforcement agencies has had the opportunity to participate in similar studies,” Mc Bean pointed out.
He told the media that his duty-free concession for his vehicle was not renewed after it expired this year and that he was “overlooked for promotion to the rank of Senior Superintendent” earlier this year.
Profile
McBean, a father of one, was born at Port Mourant but grew up at Philippi on the Corentyne.
He enrolled at the Felix Austin Police College at Adventure on the Corentyne on April 1, 1992 and graduated one year later with the baton of honour for being best student.
He was then selected to represent the Guyana Police Force in 1993 for the standard officers’ course with the Guyana Defence Force. After he graduated he was stationed at the Tactical Services Unit from 1994 to about 1999.
He served as Deputy Commander, ‘A’ Division for No.1 Subdivision and Impact and held responsibilities at the Immigration Department. He then returned to ‘B’ Division to serve as Officer in Charge of the No.1 Subdivision, New Amsterdam.
He was serving as Operations Officer, Tactical Services Unit following which he enrolled for the degree programme. Upon his return he was posted to Berbice as Officer in charge of Operations.
Challenging
dismissal
Attorney-at-law, Henry told reporters that there are “many loopholes” in the dismissal and he intends to clearly put them forward before the High Court.
Henry who suffered a similar fate, recalled that in 2005 while Winston Felix was Commissioner of Police he was granted two years permission by the force to pursue a Legal Education Certificate programme.
To his surprise, in June 2007, during the final semester, he received a letter from the same commissioner, revoking permission to study.
Instead of quitting, Henry questioned the action through an attorney and only returned home at the end of the semester. He was served with a letter terminating his services in January this year.
Meanwhile, prominent persons in Berbice including some in the business community are saddened over Mc Bean’s dismissal and feel that the force has lost a “stalwart who was very humble and respectable.”
Other present at the press conference included retired Senior Superintendent Stephen Jarvis; Dr. John Austin, Member of Parliament with the People’s National Congress Reform and regional representative of the Alliance For Change, Shawn Smith.
