Twiddling thumbs until the next police shootings

Jul 28, 2012 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
As was reported in the Kaieteur News paper on 9/14/2011 a man in a tree warranted shots being fired at him by the police. It is about time that the police in Guyana be given some sensitivity training about how to handle simple problems.
The police were called because a man was up in a tree and refused to come down. This action caused the police to fire multiple shots at the man. I am concerned that the police in Guyana have lost their sense of responsibility.
The above statements were made last year showing the Guyana police insensitivity. In that writing, I called for the police to be trained. The mere fact that the police have the authority to shoot anyone, with impunity, shows that the police commissioner, Minister of Home Affairs, The President and any other who has the authority to influence the behaviour of the police should be removed from office, with sensitivity training given to every person joining the police force.
Who has the ultimate authority to see that the police are trained in the simplest form of public response? If that person failed to ensure that the police cease and desist from injuring and killing any citizen for the most trivial of public misbehaviour, then that person does not need to remain in that position of authority.
Blame should also be placed at the doorstep of the public. There were no protests against the police when the man in the tree was shot at. This action by the police was in evidence before. We, the people, have seen what the police will do for the simplest of public misbehaviour, but we continue to tolerate this ghastly over-reaction by the police. We were witnesses to the constant injuring of the public by the police. Yet we the people shrugged our shoulders because we were not the injured party.
Guyana went ahead and bought a huge water cannon to quell crowd misbehaviour, yet when the water cannon’s use would have been preferable, real bullets were used instead, resulting in injury and death of innocent citizens.
Today, we the public stand in astonishment only after the police kill and maim. Those Linden killings could have been avoided. We do not have to be surprised at the police action when it is common practice of the police to kill or injure the public without an enquiry. Those in authority allow the police to determine who is a criminal and who is not. Consequently, no attempt is made or no behavioural mandate is given to the police. There is no standard of behaviour that is in place for the Guyana police to adhere to when dealing with the public, therefore, the police make up the only response they know, “shoot to kill” and as such, the hunt continues with dire consequences.
The pending action, or call by the President to revisit the issues, is more for political expediency. There is fear that this protest could get out of hand and cripple the nation. So what we are seeing is a self-protective act and not an act to change the status quo, thereby improving and changing the behaviour of the Guyana Police Force when dealing with the public.
The public must ask this question, of the numerous police shootings how many inquiries were held and how many policemen have lost their jobs, and/or, been sent to prison?
Meanwhile, the people of Guyana continue to endure it, while the political operatives stand around and twiddle their thumbs while answering the public questions and concerns in broad generalities. Until the next police shootings.
Patrick Barker

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Twiddling thumbs until the next police shootings

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