The police are unsung heroes

Mar 16, 2010 Editorial

Perhaps the hardest working people in our midst are the policemen. And even if they are not the most hard working they are under the spotlight more than anyone else.
They are sought at the drop of a hat and that is how it should be in any society. But if the truth be told, they are some 1,000 ranks below the establishment.
The hierarchy of the force recognized that the society has changed radically. Criminals are more daring, are more desperate and are even more cruel.
Many lack the intelligence that separates man from animals hence they needlessly kill their victims, unaware that they place themselves in deeper trouble when they kill as opposed to when they simply rob.
During the past year the police saw the need to increase patrols around the city and its environs. The government was called in to spend millions of dollars more and while some may feel that the expenditure is not worth the while, the evidence that the police actually catch people at the scene of crimes tells a different story.
The prevailing social conditions are asking them to do even more. They are being pressed to solve crimes almost as soon as they happen. They do not have the technology that abounds in those countries with infinitely more resources than the Guyana Police Force.
Within the past few weeks there have been some of the most brutal crimes. A Canada-based Guyanese happened to be at a bar for a quiet drink. Two gunmen pounced on him and shot him dead before relieving him of his jewellery. There were images of the robbery on close circuit television but that is often not enough for the police to locate the perpetrators.
Within days the police had the suspects in custody although, as is often the case, people close to those arrested would swear that the individuals are just short of being choirboys.
A man is shot in the vicinity of Bourda Market and within days the suspects are held. The police are hardly recognized for their efforts because the society still feel that they, the police, are against people, a carry over from the days when the very police were forced to react violently in the face of execution of their ranks.
Those were grim days when many people who were supposed to be law abiding citizens were in fact gunmen having been enticed by the money flaunted by the drug dealers. These were the days when the police opted to be more aggressive. They have maintained the aggression in the pursuit of criminals but they are less likely to use extreme force.
And this was evident when they swooped down on a North Ruimveldt house in which kidnappers had bundled their victim. Three hours after the abduction the police were able to apprehend a prime suspect.
He had been left to guard the victim and he was armed with a nine millimeter pistol
Theirs is a thankless job. The abuse they suffer from crowds when they apprehend criminals who suddenly appear to be the victims is nothing short of distressful. However, the professionalism of the policemen see them coping with the abuses.
On occasions they could arrest some of the inciteful crowds but they do not. And to compound their already pressed schedule they must deal with the errant road users; with the various cases of domestic violence, using tact where necessary.
The police may not be the most liked people in the society but they are certainly the most important. Because of their steadfastness people felt safer during the Christmas holidays. The market vendors are bearing testimony to this. They now want a constant police presence in the market areas.
That is why the public must be more supportive. They must come forward to report crimes. Their support and the dedication of the police will make the country a safer place for all.

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The police are unsung heroes

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