The changes in command accompanying the ascent of new Commissioner of Police Chester Williams will start to take effect on Monday. While we have to wait and see how all the pieces will fit into place - one area we'll watch with interest is the number 2 spot. That's Deputy Compol Edward Broaster. He will reportedly be in charge of operations while a new Deputy, Robert Mariano will be in charge of administration.
But, Deputy Broaster is the one to watch because he and Compol Chester have a long and sordid history of personal enmity and feverish disputes.
In fact, once upon a time back in 2008, Broaster made a criminal complaint against Williams - alleging that Williams had threatened him. This, of course, after Williams claims that Broaster fabricated evidence against him in a murder hoax! That's a whole lot of bad blood - and, yes, while it is almost 11 years ago - it provides important historical perspective. We went in our archives to revisit a portion of an extraordinary interview that Williams gave the media in the wake of this, after he was pushed from the frontline of Eastern Division to a lowly desk job in Belmopan:...
Marion Ali, News 5 "Mr. Williams did you threaten Mr. Broaster?"
Sr. Supt. Chester Williams "I made no threat to Mr. Broaster. I would never threaten Mr. Broaster. We have our personal differences but professionally I try to maintain a relationship with him because at the end of the day we are police officers, we work together, and we must learn to co-exist. So I did not threaten Mr. Broaster."
Jules Vasquez, reporter "The allegation Mr. Broaster made is that you told him, 'I am close to doing someone something. Mr. Broaster is going around trying to pay people to fabricate evidence against me. You di f$%& around Mr. Broaster, I will f$%^ you up.' And he alleges you told him, 'you the f@#$ around Mr. Broaster, I will f$^% you up, you do not know what I am capable of.' Did you say those words?"
Sr. Supt. Chester Williams "Some of them I said but if I say you do not know what I am capable of, I am capable of doing anything; I am capaable of eating, I am capable of walking, I am capable of driving a vehicle, I am capable of riding a plane - I am capable of anything. That is not a threat. If he want promotion Jules, you must work to get where you are. Earn your merits, don't go around and get promotion by trying to cock sucker somebody out of a position - it does not work like that. 07:36 Earn what you think you deserve."
As you can tell, Williams was HOT that day. Since then, of course, a whole lot of water has passed under the bridge - an we get the impression that the two senior cops have learned to coexist, if not harmoniously, then at least without public enmity. That residual tension remains though, and it will be interesting to see how their leadership tandem plays out.
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The changes in command accompanying the ascent of new Commissioner of Police Chester Williams will start to take effect on Monday. While we have to wait and see how all the pieces will fit into place - one area we'll watch with interest is the number 2 spot. That's Deputy Compol Edward Broaster. He will reportedly be in charge of operations while a new Deputy, Robert Mariano will be in charge of administration.
Jules Vasquez, reporter