Murder rate worrying- Brumell

Dec 13, 2012 News

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– another hinterland Detective wins Best Cop award

Despite keeping criminal activity down to a relatively manageable level, the current spate of murders is worrying Commissioner of Police (ag) Leroy Brumell and his organization.

The Commissioner made the disclosure during his first address as Head of the Guyana Police Force at the organisation’s annual Christmas awards ceremony, yesterday. The venue was the Police Officers’ Mess Annex, Eve Leary.
So far this year, the Force has recorded 128 murders, three more than the corresponding period last year.
“The number of murders we have is quite worrying…and some of these murders when you examine them, are for menial things,”
Of the total number of murders, 55 were disorderly types and 24 were domestic related.
“I want to advise us, if we can’t take a drink without getting violent, we have to desist (from drinking). If we have wives and we don’t have self control over our wives, let our wives go, don’t get involved,” the Acting Commissioner declared.
He is particularly concerned about the high level of domestic violence which he said sometimes leads to murder. He had this advice for the men. “We must not raise our hands and hit women…let them hit us, provided that they don’t disfigure us…We must take it,” Brumell said. His comments drew murmurs from the audience, which was made up of mostly male members of the Force.
The Commissioner urged his officers and ranks not to get involved in these indiscretions.
Yesterday saw, for the second consecutive year, a Detective from the Police Interior Division copping the organisation’s annual Best Cop Award.
This year’s best cop award went to Sergeant Garfield Headley, who was responsible for investigations into 11 murders in his division. He managed to solve seven, through painstaking work and dedication.
Sergeant Headley was also instrumental in recovering two all terrain vehicles that were integral elements in armed robberies in the interior.
His work is all the more commendable since the interior comes only second to the Police A Division in the number of murders so far for the year, having topped the list last year.
For his efforts, Headley was awarded a total of $400,000 cash and a trophy from the Guyana Police Force, along with a trip to Kaieteur Falls, a dinner for two, and a stay for two at a popular local resort, compliments of a local business entity.
He was also presented with a monetary award by the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners’ Association.
His runner-up was Cadet Officer Rovin Dass of the Tactical Services Unit.
And once again, national athlete Sergeant Natasha Alder copped the Force’s Sportswoman of the Year Award, while national bodybuilder Corporal Randolph Morgan was Sportsman of the Year.
Popular traffic cop, Corporal Gavin Boyce copped the Best Cop for the A Division for making over 700 traffic cases, and he warned that he intends to increase this figure in the coming year if motorists continue to breach the laws.
Detective Constable Kevin Martin won the East Coast Demerara Division’s Best Cop Award for his outstanding work that led to the solving of a number of crimes in that district.
The Force has come in for a fair share of criticisms this year, stemming from the fatal shooting of three Lindeners during unrest there over the proposed hike in electricity rates; the killing of Agricola teenager Shaquille Grant, which also led to protests and the killing of Damien Belgrave allegedly by police ranks outside the White Castle Fish Shop on Hadfield Street.
However, according to the Force’s Administrative Officer, Assistant Commissioner Clare Jarvis, “This does not mean we do not have hardworking ranks.”
This year, 1659 ranks will receive monetary rewards.
But while there were some outstanding performances from some ranks, others had given the Force a bad name prompting Acting Commissioner Brumell to urge those who are still law abiding, not to be tempted.
“It’s not nice when a policeman or a policewoman has to be charged and placed before the court and the magistrate says ‘remand!’. Because the persons that you put in jail, you have to go and join them and when you go, they will say, ‘I welcome you!’” Acting Commissioner Brumell said.
He reminded his ranks that they are ambassadors of a disciplined organization and their actions could go a far way in determining the behaviour of the society at large.
He referred to a correspondence he received in which a member of the public commended a rank for his professionalism and expressed the desire to receive more such correspondences.
“I want to let you know that we are the servants of the country. We must not behave as though we own the people out there and want to talk to them anyhow,” the Acting Top Cop stated.
“How some of us talk to people out there, we cannot talk like that at home. At home we have to be circumspect or else,” he added.

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