The changing face of the Guyana Police Force

Sep 20, 2012 Editorial

Within recent times the police have been in the forefront of the news. There was the shooting death of a detective who was said to have been involved in the narcotics section of the Guyana Police Force. He was stationed at Moleson Creek.
Then there was the shooting to death of a seventeen-year-old boy in Caesar Street, Agricola. This lad happened to be sitting with four others under a shed. The police swooped down ostensibly on a report that the five were planning a robbery. Subsequent events seem to indicate that the police were acting on other motives because none of the men has been charged with anything nearly connected with a robbery.
In fact, none has been charged. Further, the gun that the men were said to have in their possession has not even been mentioned and the police have made no attempt to link the weapon to the men. We find this strange and we must now ask whether the men had any gun at all.
That shooting death is reportedly being investigated. Statements have been taken and lawyers representing the interest of the slain youth are leaving no stone unturned to see that the trigger happy ranks are made to face criminal prosecution.
The rush by the police does not end there. We then hear of a police rank entering a home and attempting to arrest a twelve-year-old for an unstated crime. Suffice it to say, despite the reports of this incident in the media the public relations department of the Guyana Police Force has not issued a peep. Meanwhile, the police rank with the support of his superior, continues to terrorise the community of Bagotville.
This is a most remarkable change from the time when the police were reported for their fight against criminals. And there have been good reports. They were credited with curtailing the activities of some of the most wanted criminals.
Generally, the police are the buffer between a good and lawful society and anarchy. They are the ones expected to not only protect a society but also to lead by example. The fact that something has gone horribly wrong to the point where the police are becoming public enemies warrants serious investigation.
Not so long ago the police were on the receiving end of criminal attacks. Such was the situation that uniformed ranks were afraid to wear their uniforms to and from work. Many did not want to be known as policemen and more than a few were gunned down, among a traffic rank who was dressed in bullet proof paraphernalia.
The criminals would contend that they were targeting the police because the very police had become judge, jury and executioner. The state would always win and the tide turned. The police were ordered to adopt a policy of restraint. They were known to shoot out of hand anyone on the basis of a suspicion.
One must now wonder at the resurgence of hostile action on the part of the police. It could be that the quality of people joining the police force is at a level that is unprecedented. It could be that most of them are semiliterate so that the language most familiar to them in any situation is violence.
They fail to understand that by their actions they fashion the society. Great Britain is not without crime but the police do not bear arms. The result is that the level of violent crime is far lower than in Guyana. What is more, the police command the respect of the entire country. Two of them, both women, were shot dead by a notorious criminal just a few days ago. However, the authorities still do not see the need to arm the police. They simply want the presence of the police to be the deterrent rather than the arms they bear.
Guyana may wish to rethink its position on arming just about every rank to hit the streets. This seems to have created a trigger happy policeman, the likes of which killed three protesters in Linden and the youth in Agricola. It may also be responsible for the very confrontational nature of the police and the hostility they attract.

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The changing face of the Guyana Police Force

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