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It beggars belief that the Minister of Police has stated that he will only appoint a new deputy national commissioner to head up the Crime Intelligence and Crime Detection division of the South African Police Service "when the need arises". The occupier of this position is effectively second in command of the Police Service at any given point in time, but the post has been left vacant since Tim Williams resigned from his post last month. Incredibly, though, a reply to a DA parliamentary question makes it clear that the minister is in no hurry to find a replacement. The minister states that the necessary steps in the interview and hiring process for a replacement for Mr Williams have not been initiated, and that since "[t]he appointment of a Deputy National Commissioner is solely dependent on the need and discretion of the National Commissioner in the execution of his policing mandate", a replacement will only be found "when the need arises". It is quite concerning that the minister seems to think that the filling of this post is somehow optional - or at the commissioner's "discretion". The deputy national commissioner for crime intelligence and crime detection is charged with heading up and overseeing three critical divisions - Detective Services, Criminal Record & Forensic Science Services and Crime Intelligence. By leaving this post unfilled, the police commissioner and minister are leaving a gaping hole right at the top of the SAPS leadership structures. If the minister thinks that the second most influential position in the Police Service only needs to be filled "when the need arises", perhaps he ought to have a look at the recently released crime statistics. Clearly there is a need. We need a new Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Intelligence now. Is this yet further evidence that Bheki Cele is fast becoming ‘Bheki Celebi'? Just as the former national commissioner tried to concentrate and centralise all power in the Police Service - in the process dismantling so many of the decentralised, semi-autonomous units that actually worked effectively - so it appears that the new commissioner is determined to do the same. Between his ridiculous idea of a new ‘militarised police force', the recently announced plans to disband the Metro Police, and now this apparent unwillingness to appoint a second in command, it is fast becoming clear that the new commissioner is no different to the last one. Meanwhile, Tim Williams's mysterious departure has resulted in the loss of a lifetime of experience to the SAPS, and has left a gaping void in the top management structures of the SAPS. The Minister must provide a proper explanation for his departure, and must explain why he his dragging his heels on a replacement.