Reginald Elizabeth to replace Ernest Quatre as Police Commissioner |08 June 2016

Reginald Elizabeth is to replace Ernest Quatre as Commissioner of Police. Mr. Elizabeth’s appointment got the unanimous approval of the National Assembly in its sitting yesterday.

The motion to approve the appointment of Mr Elizabeth, who has been a police officer for the last 43 years, was presented by the new leader of government business Charles de Commarmond.

Members who spoke in favour of the motion joined Mr de Commarmond to show support for the new Police Commissioner and to thank Mr Quatre for his devotion and long service.

They however called for a more disciplined, transparent, public friendly, respectful, professional and modern police force, with more training and better work conditions.

While they also called on the population to show more respect for the law, they asked the new Commissioner to attract more people to the force so as to eventually replace foreign labour.

Mr Quatre, who called on President Michel yesterday morning, has said that he had wished to retire four years ago when he reached retirement age, but had been asked to continue for some more years.

He is now aged 67 and after joining the police at the tender age of 18, has spent nearly 50 years in the force.

He said that after seven years as the police boss, he will now spend more time with his family, especially his wife who has supported him during his career.

With the president who showed appreciation for his good service, Mr Quatre discussed the work done as well as the future of the police force.

Confident in the success of his successor, his advice for him came in the following way:

“He has to be tolerant and patient as I was and has to work as a team with all police officers and also support them. This is also the appeal I make to all senior officers: support your subordinates, be with them and bear with them in any eventuality. At the same time, you must not tolerate indiscipline and always act to keep the force professional.”