Prime Minister Gaston Browne says he has asked the attorney general to identify young Antiguans who can advance through the police force into management and senior leadership positions.
Speaking on the Browne and Browne Show on Saturday, Browne presented the request as part of succession planning aimed at preparing local officers to take on greater responsibility in the years ahead.
“I’ve asked the Attorney General to identify young Antiguans who can literally take over the middle management and become senior leaders within the ensuing years,” he said.
Browne said he believed the current police commissioner had a few more years in office, placing his comments in the context of preparing future leadership rather than announcing an immediate replacement.
He did not name officers under consideration or outline a training programme, selection process or timetable for advancement.
The remarks came in response to a caller who urged greater efforts to prepare Antiguans to succeed overseas professionals working in the country.
Browne acknowledged gaps but said the government’s policy was to help qualified nationals move into leadership roles.
“I accept there are gaps, but the policy is in place to ensure that Antiguans replace these individuals,” he said.
He pointed to the police force as one area where local leadership had advanced, contrasting its current leadership with an earlier period when Canadians held senior responsibility.
Browne said succession planning also required employees to obtain qualifications relevant to the positions they hoped to hold. Experience alone, he argued, sometimes needed to be supported by formal training.
He said progress was occurring more rapidly in public institutions, where the government had greater influence, while acknowledging that preparing residents to lead in some private-sector industries remained a challenge.
The prime minister did not announce any new police appointments during the programme.
This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Antigua and Barbuda PM asks attorney general to identify future police leaders.