HOLDING THE SECURITY SERVICES ACCOUNTABLE

Aug 31, 2011 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

The judiciary is independent of the executive. The police force and the military are not.
The hierarchy of the police force enjoys operational independence. That is when it comes to the day- to-day administration of the organization; it ought to be free of political directions. Thus issues such as transfers or the planning of operations should come under the direct and exclusive purview of the senior officers of the force.
However, the police force has to be at all times guided by the policy of the government. If, for example, the government decides that nightly curfews are necessary in certain areas to reduce crime, the police are obligated to enforce these curfews.
In addition, the officers of the force are supposed to be held accountable for their actions. No one needs Wikileaks to remind the nation that the security forces failed this country during the crime wave. And for this, the government ought to have insisted that persons within the hierarchy of the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force be held accountable for what took place under their watch.
Instead of making sweeping changes, the administration, which admitted to the Americans that the situation at the time was beyond the security forces, failed to makes sweeping changes. Had they done so, perhaps things would have been better.
The tragedy of Guyana goes beyond what happened in this country during the crime wave. The greater tragedy is the failure of the government to do what Burnham did after the Ministry of National Mobilization was burnt down. Burnham held persons within the security services accountable and they were forced to step aside.
A great many persons suffered in Guyana during the crime wave, and much of this suffering could have been avoided if the government had the courage to do what was expected: to demand accountability from senior operatives of the security services.
Instead of being fired, those who were unable to bring an end to the crime wave or to reduce it in any substantive way, were allowed to continue.
If persons who hold senior positions within the security services feel that no matter what, they are not going to be held accountable for their performance, they are not going to be bothered about non-performance, because they know that in the end their jobs will be intact.
This is something that the ruling PPP administration has encouraged and which it needs to immediately reverse, beginning with accountability.
A few weeks ago, this newspaper carried the horrific sight of animals left to die in a pound. Has an investigation been ordered? Has anyone been asked to provide an explanation? Will anyone be held accountable for this cruelty to animals?
Then a few days after highlighting the plight of the impounded animals, the roof of another pound caved in. To date there have been no releases indicating whether any investigation is going to be held into these incidents.
If the government continues with this sort of approach towards the security services, then the security services may well begin to feel that they do not have to worry about being held accountable.
But by far the most shocking development were the allegations that were said to have been leveled by a senior officer against ranks. So far, all that has been said is that the matter is under investigation, but the executive needs to understand that it cannot simply leave all investigations to the police force. Some accusations are of such gravity that they should lead to the establishment of a commission of inquiry.
The security services must not be allowed to drift. They must at all times be made to feel that while they enjoy operational independence, they have to also be accountable.
The failure of the PPP administration to insist on this accountability has been responsible for a great many of the tragedies in this country, and for this, the PPP must be held to account by the people of this country.

Latest News

HOLDING THE SECURITY SERVICES ACCOUNTABLE

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| April, 14th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Ramdheol fifty leads pilots Guyana to 6-wicket win

Berbice thrash Demerara by 82-runs after Fraser...

Guyana Rainforest Rangers to bowl encampment...

A tribute to Milton Robert Pydana aka ‘Golden...

GCB expresses condolence on the passing of former...

Covent Garden Secondary boys on course for Region...

Features/Columnists

In praise of the Almighty Executive Order

Collaborative Government–Private Sector Action Imperative for a Resilient Trade Future

World coming to an end

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

HOLDING THE SECURITY SERVICES ACCOUNTABLE

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| April, 14th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]