WALKER

Director of Elections, Danville Anthony Walker, has been named among the shortlisted candidates to succeed Lucius Thomas as Commissioner of Police at the end of the month, Gleaner sources say.

The other candidates are Deputy Commissioner of Police Charles Scarlett and assistant commissioners Carl Williams, Novelette Grant and Owen Ellington.

"No comment," were the words of a smiling Mr. Walker, when contacted yesterday.

Walker approached

However, a senior Government official confirmed yesterday that Mr. Walker had been approached by a member of the Police Services Commission. He was reportedly asked to consider taking up the tough assignment as head of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. "And he said yes," the Government source told The Gleaner.

According to information reaching The Gleaner, this is the second time in under five years that the 48-year-old retired army officer has been approached to take on the Commissioner's job. When former Police Commissioner Francis Forbes retired three years ago, Walker was reportedly among the persons considered for the job.

Mr. Walker, who is also a Justice of the Peace, was born in Kingston on September 29, 1959. He was educated at Excelsior High School and Baruch College and City University of New York. He succeeded another army man, Major Winston Sutherland, as Director of Elections. If Mr. Walker accepts the job, it will be the second time in the history of the JCF that an outsider would be appointed to the position. Retired Colonel Trevor MacMillan, served as Commissioner of Police in the mid 1990s before he was replaced by Francis Forbes.

Of the other candidates being eyed for the job, only DCP Scarlet has completed the Strategic Command Course, at the Bramshill College in London. This course prepares persons for taking on the job of Police Commissioner. In addition, he has also completed several other related courses.

When The Gleaner spoke with him yesterday at the Police Officers' Club where Commissioner Thomas disclosed that he will be leaving at the end of the month, DCP Scarlet declined to comment on whether he had been approached.

ACP Williams who recently returned from study leave overseas also declined to talk. He is highly respected by the diplomatic community and well loved by his colleagues. He did a superb job while he was assigned to the Narcotics Division.

ACP Grant is among the brightest batch of officers in the JCF and it is for this reason that she has been short-listed.

The word on the street is that ACP Ellington is a popular choice to be offered the top job. He was once the staff officer to then Police Commissioner Colonel MacMillan.

( L - R ) Scarlett, Grant, Williams, Ellington