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ASP Noble – Why Was He Unceremoniously Removed?
posted (August 8, 2014)
One week ago we told you that ASP Chris Noble had been transferred effective immediately from his post as Regional Executive Officer in the Belize District. Noble, who had gained a public reputation for vigilance and attention to duty, had been sent to the garage, the transport section - for a department that mostly outsources it's mechanical work.

It was an unceremonious and swift departure ordered by COMPOL Allen Whylie himself who pulled Noble out of a meeting and called him to Belmopan to give him the news directly.

So, everyone's been asking - what's really behind the sudden move? What did Noble do to the Commissioner, was it personal? Today at a BDF passing out the commissioner wouldn't talk to the press but the CEO in the Ministry of National Security did - and here's what he said:..

Ret. Col. George Lovell, C.E.O., Ministry of National Security
"Reposting is a prevue of the commissioner and so it is something that the ministry necessarily interfere with. So he was reposted."

Reporter
"Did the ComPol gave you any reason as to why he reposted Mr. Noble?"

Ret. Col. George Lovell, C.E.O., Ministry of National Security
"As I said it is his prevue when I discussed it with him. It is something that is administrative that I would like for him personally if you would ask his that question for him to say. I can tell you that there were some discussions between Noble and him and I am quite certain that Noble and the Commissioner would be better to explain what has transpired in those discussions."

Reporter
"Sir, from what I understand it has to be some personal beef between the two individuals."

Ret. Col. George Lovell, C.E.O., Ministry of National Security
"I don't think its personal and I would like to ask that you ask both commissioner and Noble about that. I don't think it is."

Reporter
"So how do you classify and rank his performance out in Ladyville?"

Ret. Col. George Lovell, C.E.O., Ministry of National Security
"I think he did an exceptional job. I believe if you look at the statistics you would also agree with me, but we do have reposting, we do have transfers and it is all base on where the commissioner of police as it relates to reposting and as it relates to transfers where he recommend. I didn't believe that the posting to transport would have been a demotion or put him in a position where his abilities would have been less utilized. Noble has done an exceptional job as the officer that was responsible for that area and I know that he will continue to do an exceptional job as the transport officer for the police department."

Reporter
"Sir however he goes from an area where he was supervising over seventy officers to an area where he will be supervising only five or eight as a garage supervisor. How can that not be viewed as a demotion?"

Ret'd Col. George Lovell
"It is not a demotion. If you look at the rank structure for Transport you note first of all that the amount of responsibility he has is for the entire fleet of the Police Department countrywide. He will be the Fleet Manager at Transport for the Police."

Noble has refused to talk about the transfer, and Whylie declined to speak to the press today. But, Lovell says the Security Services Commission will review it and they can over-rule it if they feel it is not in the best security interests of the country. But we will add, that is unlikely.

Going forward, Inspector Frederick Gordon has been installed at Ladyville to take-up Noble's post. But as the Regional Executive Officer, Noble was in charge of much more than Ladyville - in fact he was responsible for all of the rural Belize District, basically everything north of Haulover and Burdon Canal bridges.

That's a whole lot of area, and Lovell explained that the administration of it will change:...

Ret. Col. George Lovell, C.E.O., Ministry of National Security
"There are plans to have an inspector of police that will be responsible for the Hattieville area and an inspector of police that replaces Mr. Noble. There are plans and I hope I don't get ahead of myself on this one, where they will divide that area that Noble once had where those two inspectors then report to the deputy head of eastern division or directly to OC eastern division."

The Hattieville Inspector has not been installed yet.

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