Two nice officers in a disgraceful police force in Guyana

Aug 25, 2011 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

Mark Benschop is a living testimony to what a police officer said to me when we were leaving the Brickdam lock-up. He said, “Freddie please don’t mention our names when writing about how nice we were to you in the lock-up. Don’t write about it at all, Freddie because we don’t want no problem.” Benschop and my wife admonished me. I wasn’t going to do that because I knew the next day those guys would either be transferred from Brickdam or get in deep trouble.
Monday evening and Tuesday morning, I was the recipient of the professionalism of two senior police officers – one from Eve Leary, the other from Brickdam. I won’t name them. There are not many of them in what has come to be known in Guyana as the police force without morale.
Here is the story of a disgraceful police for that if there should be a new government, it should be overhauled.
I received a call that three young employees (one of whom is distantly related to me) of a vegetable oil company were beaten by a close family member of the owner and two company guards over the stealing of coconuts. Their “licks” were so severe that they were glad to confess.
On arrival at Eve Leary, one of the victims showed me the two guards in their vehicle in the Eve Leary compound. I asked the investigating rank to invite the guards upstairs because a serious accusation was being made against them. He chose not to and the vehicle exited the vicinity with its occupants. I left Eve Leary with the position put to the two investigating ranks that stealing coconuts from your employer is wrong and should be investigated, but so is beating people up.
As it turned out, the two guards returned to Eve Leary, and took the three accused to Brickdam with their own transport with one of the investigating ranks in the car. The two detectives weren’t interested in pursuing a matter in which three alleged coconut thieves were beaten on their heads by company guards and the owner’s relatives.
At Brickdam, my name was ridiculed, with one of the policemen threatening to lock me up if I turned up. I did just that, went up to him, and politely informed him that I was told he had an interest in arresting me. I asked him if this was indeed the case. He said no.
I telephoned a senior officer at Eve Leary who promised me an investigation because it was illegal to assault another human being. The next morning (Tuesday), it turned out he did, and even ordered a medical examination. I inquired from a highly placed rank at Brickdam if there would be a question session with the two guards and the owner’s family member. He promised that would happen because, like the Eve Leary officer, he agreed that if they stole the coconuts that should not mean they must be beaten. He ordered that the oil company people be questioned.
This is hardly the attitude of police officials. It is my opinion that there is a culture ingrained in almost every policeman and policewoman that business people are the cream of the society and their actions must not be subjected to the same scrutiny as other strata in society. Once, a well known rich personality summons the police at the workplace over theft, the police reach with supersonic speed. The accused is threatened, beaten, put in the lock up for days, charged, then sent to court.
Call the police and tell them your car is being stolen or there is a thief in your vehicle or that your neighbour just beat you up or a gun was pulled on you in a bar, and the Egyptians will start and complete another pyramid before the police arrive. In my experience as a human rights activist in this country, the police give more priority to the wealthy classes. No one can convince me otherwise. This is my experience living in Guyana.
Now here is an interesting angle I will pursue in this case. One of the accused told me, he has never received a pay slip that shows NIS payment. He believes there is no NIS deduction. He may be wrong, so I will ask the NIS to check for his name. If it is not there, then shouldn’t the law take its course? No decent person should disagree that it is wrong to steal coconuts and it is wrong and illegal to have employees and not cover them with NIS benefits.

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Two nice officers in a disgraceful police force in Guyana

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