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Have Guyanese lost their right to protest?
Dear Editor,
The drama that unfolded in Georgetown last Friday (11-06-10) when school children came to protest the Brickdam Police Station, has demonstrated to all, that the Guyana Police Force(GPF) has become the puppet of the ugly political powers that dangle its strings, and cause it to perform extremely foolish actions.
The school children went justifiably to one of the larger police stations in Georgetown, to protest the alleged unlawful killing of one of their colleagues by the police last week. Arresting the driver of the canter truck that brought them to Georgetown, does not manifest the seriousness of the police to protect and serve, but rather their ability to take advantage of citizens who dare play a role in the demand of real justice from our justice system.
The traffic charges that were read to the poor chap are clearly designed to intimidate and send a clear message to others who feel they have the gumption to challenge the atrocities that have now become the ‘new order of the day’ in Guyana.
The GPF has allowed its image to wilt and rot through its blatant disregard for professionalism, tact, intelligence and respect. The senior officer who was in charge of the mayhem that took place in Georgetown must say whether he acted on his own or if he was instructed and by whom.
The waste of the court’s time in charging, more so harassing a driver, who probably was hired to drop off some aggrieved students to protest the loss of their friend through the recklessness of the police, is just unnecessary.
Have Guyanese lost their right to protest?
Police reform is really long overdue! The GPF has to arrest its miserable ugly image and fix it quickly. Instead of trumping up charges against a fellow who was facilitating a lawful democratic process, the police should try to reintroduce ethics, respect, courtesy, intelligent reasoning and pride to its members.
Instead of covering up police brutality through callous statements, instead of using brute force and copious amounts of ignorance in discharging their duty, the senior administrators of the GPF should teach their members that police work is people work. It is done by people, for people, with people, and to people.
A man for all seasons has just retired from the Force. Mr. Paul Slowe stood up for his professional integrity and refused to give up his moral high ground for neither love nor money.
I wish there are more senior officers like Mr. Slowe with the ability to make a difference; who can be given a real chance to seriously engineer change in the Force.
Harassing innocent citizens and showing bravado when it is absolutely unnecessary do not auger well for the Guyana Police Force. And the answer does not lie in political interference.
I hope the canter driver gets justice and his persecution through prosecution comes to an expeditious end.
Richard Francois
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