A few suggestions for the police force

Oct 04, 2012 Letters

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Dear Editor,
I have chosen to speak on this matter only now because I wanted it to be considered objectively, out of the period of emotional outbursts and what has proven to be lame reactionary defences.
The limited time that I get to devote in fulfilling my voluntary duties as an executive of the “Riddim Squad Football Club” did not afford me the opportunity to know too much about club member Shaquille Grant who was killed by police recently.
I think I must have interacted with him more during his brief stint at N&S Mattai, where according to him “I could ketch reso paper here boss, jus fetchin’ bags after dem done cashing”.
After learning of the incident, I called Coach/Trainer Lloyd Millington, and heard him struggle to maintain a steady voice as he reflectively confided that Shaquille, though not yet 18, was already a significant source of positive energy on the team and was instrumental in keeping the practice gatherings lively and upbeat.
In February of this year, in keeping with Mashramani activities involving the Carib Soca Monarch there was a request for a footballer as prop for the Adrian Dutchin performance of “I am a Guyanese”. Shaquille was first to volunteer, brave and spirited. He did it well, garnering considerable bragging rights for “Riddim Squad.”
Nonetheless, Shaquille is dead.
In the consideration of human behaviour on economic outcome there is a term that is known as “the escalation of commitment”. An escalation of commitment occurs when there is a tendency to invest more into an activity that is not returning the rewards as it should. It usually occurs as a result of human fickleness to make a clean cut, usually in consideration of the time and other resources already expended and cannot be retrieved. Some people behave like that in business, some in personal relationships even.
I think we behave like that on an administrative level in consideration of the Guyana Police Force.
We continue to put resources into an organisation with a failed mindset and a perceived failed account of public service.
We accept poor recruitment standards, thereby condemning the organisation to forever work with the shallow end of the pool of academic competence. The disciplined forces in general are now seen by many as the good thing for school drop outs to be involved in.
Sloppy crime scene investigations and evidence collection are now the most predictable outcome from the Guyana Police Farce.
The damage being done by the GPF in destroying public confidence and inspiring resistance, public outcry and general negativity is extremely disturbing and bears a true monetary cost. Qualitatively, the Guyana Police Force has become a national liability as far as developmental mood is concerned; the quantitative effect of which will grow and become more apparent as these events continue to occur.
It sets a nation into rebel mode and when that happens it is no good for business, it is no good for governance; it is no good a frame of mind for a person, let alone a nation to be in.
In general, our people have been reacting, in a responsible manner most of the times, and attempting to do what they perceive as taking charge of their own destiny. We have already seen a rather peculiar local government election in Kwakwani. We have already seen the establishment of the People’s Parliament using whatever little means and structure available to them to increase awareness.
I believe that due diligence should be exercised at an administrative level so as to ensure that horrendous events such as Shaquille’s killing and general abuse of power by police do not influence and motivate manners of public outcry that are violent in nature.
In a bid to protect the very Guyana Police Force from determined denizens deteriorating into the People’s Judge, People’s Jury and the People’s executioners, I humby submit for consideration that the GPF adopts a strategy to move itself from being perceived as a national liability to that of a national asset.
The streets of our city are lined with garbage on a daily basis. The GPF can alleviate this scourge by making a direct economic contribution to the process in the form of labour.
The drains of the city are silted in some parts. The GPF can alleviate this by making a direct economic contribution in the form of labour.
Many government buildings including The Georgetown Prisons need cleaning and painting. The GPF can alleviate this by making a direct economic contribution in the form of labour.
The sewerage system of the city usually has considerable maintenance challenges. The GPF can alleviate this by making a direct economic contribution in the form of labour.
These are only a few of the many options available to the GPF in making a start towards addressing its social indebtedness created by its not so recent  and continued performance that can only be described as carnage that has the potential to deteriorate a society into savagery.
This can be seen as a special mandate aimed at perception turnaround, as it regards the intentions of the GPF. In closing I suggest it be dubbed the GPF – Special High Intentions Training; but never in its acronymised form.
Arun Richard

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