identified for the top Police post to end current instability.

Four officers are rotating in the role of Deputy Commissioner in a bid to see who is best suited to take over from Commissioner Jean-Jacques Lemay in 2001.

But former Assistant Police Commissioner Wayne Perinchief, who is now a Progressive Labour Party MP, agreed with Shadow Home Affairs spokesman Michael Dunkley and Police Association chairman Sgt. Michael Jackman that the current situation was not working.

Mr. Perinchief said: "Those positions should be firmed up within the next three months. At the moment there's no Assistant Commissioner and no Deputy Commissioner -- everybody is acting in those roles.'' He also said there were too few top posts which could lead to a vacuum if illness struck.

He said: "If the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner are both on holiday or off the Island it means the Assistant Commissioner must take the place of the Commissioner. But who takes the Assistant Commissioner's place? It's crazy.'' He called for a separation of powers at the top with two Assistant Commissioners -- one in charge of uniformed officers and the other in charge of non-uniformed officers.

Mr. Dunkley said: "I think the problem with the current approach is that you are creating expectations and then asking people to move out if they are not the person chosen.

"It takes them away from learning their new role. They should identify the next Commissioner and let that person train as the Deputy Commissioner rather than rotate all people in the Deputy Commissioner role.'' And Mr. Dunkley said it was unclear when the succession plan was supposed to take effect.

"It doesn't bode well for the plan,'' he said. "You have to wonder if the succession plan is still a plan in itself. They should make a decision and allow everybody time to slot into the roles they are supposed to slot into.'' And Sgt. Jackman said: "I believe we need to get the leadership situation sorted out. We have to make a decision on leadership right now.'' However Home Affairs Minister Paula Cox denied the current situation was causing problems.

She said: "We are making sure we have a solid foundation on which to build.

There are some good people waiting in the wings.

"Far from creating instability, we are giving training in different areas.'' Mr. Perinchief said the structure of the Police Service was riven with problems with decisions being made by the lower ranks rather than management.

The Police last year hailed shared leadership as a way of giving the lower ranks leadership skills so the force would not be stuck for people to fill top positions.

But Mr. Perinchief said: "It's like having corporals make the decisions rather than the Sergeant Major.'' Mr. Perinchief also attacked shift changes which he claimed were for the benefit of the Police rather than the public.

He said: "In St. George's they have started working ten-hour days and doing a four-day week. It seems to me the Police are caring more about their own personal welfare rather than what they are there for.

"But in my experience you can't leave an inquiry for that long a time and have any type of continuity; it wouldn't even work for traffic officers.'' Sgt. Jackman said officers were worried about the decision to disband the traffic unit, which used to provide rapid response during a crisis.

He said: "We are concerned about how it affects officers' safety levels; we're concerned about back-up.'' However he added: "But it's only been going three weeks so let's give it a chance.'' Michael Dunkley Wayne Perinchief POLICE POL