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Another RGP Senior Officer to Leave
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EXCLUSIVE
Panorama has exclusively learned that the senior command structure of the Royal Gibraltar Police is set for even further major and important changes, this time with the unexpected retirement of another senior officer Superintendent Jay Gomez.
The RGP only last month were informed they are to have a new commissioner tSuperintendent Eddie Yome, who will take over the reigns of the force in April from the present Commissioner Louis Wink who also retires.
The appointment of the new commissioner was announced on the 19 December by the Gibraltar Police Authority after Supt Yome in a hotly contested promotion process was successful in beating off the other two candidate's superintendents Richard Mifsud and the now retiring Jay Gomez.
The new Commissioner designate will take up his five-year appointment as from next April. It is thought that Mr. Gomez's final retirement date will also be close (April) to that of the out-going commissioner!
Superintendent Gomez who joined the force in 1984 was mentioned in this year's New Years honour's list, he received the Colonial Police Medal. Mr. Gomez is also a qualified Barrister; in July 2009 he was called to the bar, in fact the first serving Police Officer in the Royal Gibraltar Police to be Called to the Bar.
The retirement of two of the most senior serving police officers and practically at the same time, leaves an important if not complex situation, one that will entail the RGP having to promote suitable qualified officers to fill the vacancies left by Wink and Gomez departures.
The triggering of these large scale force promotions, will also involve major changes to the organisational structure, this will entail promotions down the RGP's rank structure, in fact changes right down to the most junior supervisory rank of sergeant, this itself will automatically create vacancies of police constable.
Demands on police officers have grown dramatically over the years with the increasing threats to social order and personal security and the general changes in modern societies. Selection of police officers particularly of those officers who are to lead and take the service forward has always been difficult, but now, with the increasing demand and complexity of police work, these important selection processes have become even more important and of a high-profile nature, particularly in a place the size of Gibraltar that has its own unique policing peculiarities.
Panorama contacted the RGP headquarters to ask about the retirement of Supt Gomez but were told that it was not for them to comment on such a matter. We then tried to contact Supt Gomez and were told that he was out of the building. A message was left for him to contact us but we have not heard anything from him so far.
26-01-12
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