Two new assistant police commissioners appointed   |25 March 2023

The two new ACPs in a souvenir photo with guests

Police officers Antoine Denousse and Ned Wirtz have been appointed as assistant commissioners of the Seychelles Police Force.

The two assistant commissioners of police (ACPs) received their ranks and certificates of appointment by Commissioner of Police Ted Barbe and the Minister for Internal Affairs, Roy Fonseka, in a short ceremony held at State House yesterday afternoon in the presence of President Wavel Ramkalawan.

Their appointments forms part of restructuring taking place within the force.

Also present were the Chief of Defence Forces, Brigadier Michael Rosette; Attorney General Frank Ally; deputy commissioner of Police, Francis Songoire; the director of the Seychelles Intelligence Service (SIS), Benediste Hoareau; and Hon. Cliford Andre and Hon. Sandy Arissol representing the Defence and Security Committee of the National Assembly.

Before their appointments as ACPs, former superintendent Denousse was head of community policing while former superintendent Wirtz was in charge of special operations.

After being in the force for many years, coincidentally they both took a six-year break before rejoining six years ago. ACP Denousse (55 years old) started off as a police officer in 1991 while ACP Wirtz (48 years old) kicked off his police career in 1997.

Delivering a short address for the occasion, President Ramkalawan called on the two ACPs to take ownership of their new responsibilities, and authority, to help in the transformation of the police force to raise the image to the desired expectation of the public.

He noted that discipline is an issue in the force and that they should start with restoring discipline within all ranks of the police force.

He added that while some police officers are behaving themselves to the desired expectation, many others are tarnishing the image of the police and given the various complaints about their unprofessionalism, “we have to go back and remind them that there are ways to conduct themselves when wearing a uniform”.

“I want the level of discipline in the police force to match that of the level of discipline within the defence forces,” President Ramkalawan said, urging them to take their responsibilities seriously and to be more pro-active to ensure that the law is respected in our country.

“One has to be aware that when wearing that uniform they are serving the country and I want you to pass on the message that discipline is important if we want the police force to move forward,” said President Ramkalawan, who noted that the police force is a place where ‘feet dragging’, as stated in his State-of-the-nation address, must not be tolerated.

On a general note, President Ramkalawan urged the high ranked police officers to push young motivated police officers to achieve their dreams to further attract more young people to the force and to one day take on the leadership of police force.

He added that meeting its target to reduce crime, among services offered at a professional level, would be the most desirable thing that the police can do for the people.

Congratulating the two ACPs on their appointments he added that the government will give the police force its full support.

Speaking to the press,  ACP Denousse said that given his new responsibility, he will take on the challenge to ensure that police officers deliver to the expectation of the public, calling for a stop to the practice of ‘feet dragging’.

“We will make sure that we deliver and will rid the communities from social ills so that people can live safely and happily in their homes. This is what we want to assure the public,” ACP Denousse said.

ACP Wirtz on his part said that he will be pushing for more synergy within the force when dealing with cases, to better respond to the expectation of the public.

Like ACP Denousse, he said that the police will make an extra effort to ensure safety in the community.

“Police work is not static, it changes according to how society changes with many things to learn. So I would encourage young police officers on the job to stay and others to join as there are many prospects in the police force,” ACP Wirtz said.

Text & photos by Patrick Joubert