The failure of the Linden Commission

Nov 03, 2012 Editorial

The Commission of Inquiry into the Linden shooting deaths is doing everything to get to the bottom of the story. From evidence so far there is nothing to suggest that the police fired the fatal shots. This raises an interesting question. If the police did not shoot then one must now wonder whether the case for compensation still stands.
The police are representatives of the state. Should they do something untoward then the state is liable. When the commission got underway, its terms of reference were to also look into the issue of compensation. This may be the reason why there were so many questions about the police operations; why everybody concentrated on what might have gone wrong. It may also explain why witnesses were recalled to clear up contradictory statements.
But missing from the commission have been questions about the Standard Operations Procedure prior to the development of the protest. It transpired that the police were informed about the intention of the people of Linden to stage a five-day protest action. The protest organizers duly notified the police. In fact, they sought permission from the police to stage the protest. They also outlined the route along which there would have been the protest march.
What the commission has failed to do is to enquire of the police, what action they took. In the city if there is to be a picketing exercise in the vicinity of Office of the President, the police would establish barricades and ensure a strong presence in the area long before the protesters would have assembled. In the case of Linden one must wonder why the police did not adopt similar actions. There could have been ranks at the assembly points and patrols along the route of the march. This would have prevented any assembly at unwanted locations.
Further, the police had previous experience because there had been other protests. In fact, there were two previous protests over the government decision to hike the electricity tariffs. Using institutional memory, the police would have known what to expect. They would have known that the Wismar-Mackenzie Bridge was a major assembly point. With that knowledge the police would have been wise to maintain constant patrols across the bridge. They could have also placed ranks at both ends of the bridge, not necessarily in a manner to cause confrontation but to simply ensure that people kept moving.
The police have always been proactive rather than reactive. This drive to react to situations is nothing new and signals a weakness among the leadership. It exposes the lack of foresight and a major flaw in the decision-making process. As if they have learnt they have been able curtail any further aggressive action outside Agricola. All they have been doing is patrolling that corridor. It was the same with Buxton during the crime wave. When motorists became targets and when people were scared because gunmen were stopping the passing motorists and demanding money, the police with support from the Guyana Defence Force, maintained constant patrols. The corridor was never closed.
However, the Commission of Inquiry has not sought to ascertain the reason for the police being reactive rather than proactive. Perhaps the nation would have discovered that the police are not as enterprising as many would want them to be. This would now lead people to believe, as they are now starting to do, that the police are more interested in using force to quell the slightest of demonstrations.
And it is not that there are not police officers who are aware of how things could be done. Rather, it may be a case of the ranks subverting themselves to political whims and fancies. It may be a case of the political directorate planning the every move of the police although Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee told the commission that any order pertaining to the police action in Linden should have come from the Police Commissioner.
The report from the Commissioners would make for interesting reading, if only because it would highlight the shortcomings of the very commission itself.

Latest News

The failure of the Linden Commission

Related

Similar Articles

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

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Beckford brace Slingerz to fourth win on the trot, as Santos topple...

West Indies Women’s World Cup hopes in jeopardy...

GCC, Ogle, East Bank among winners as Demerara...

Unbeaten GCA storm to 2025 title

Tucber Park Cricket Club receives cricket gear...

Young guns flourish at Moo! National Junior’s...

Features/Columnists

Of Silk and Steel

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

Rogue cops – only a few around

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

The failure of the Linden Commission

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 […]