The police and abuse of the public

Mar 05, 2013 Editorial

The role of the police is to serve and protect. Indeed, the police are the lawful authority within the borders of the country. Indeed, we have grown accustomed to seeing the army in the role of the police but this is only done when the police grant the necessary fiat—authority to perform the duties of the police in the country.
Crowd control is the responsibility of the police and within recent times the police have been very active in this area. In the wake of previous elections they have had to contend with groups of protesters in the city. Until recently, the police merely formed barricades to prevent the crowds from going to certain parts of the city.
They would use tear smoke and occasionally they would fire rounds in the air. As far back as 1962 when the police confronted crowds they would refrain from shooting or from physical clashes with the crowd. The records would show that when the police actually discharged rounds they would shoot above the head of the crowd. Way back then a grounds man of the Georgetown Cricket Club would find the rounds fired by the police on the cricket ground.
In recent times the police became more aggressive. The government bought a water cannon – a useless piece of equipment—and they bought rubber-coated bullets. Without being attacked they fired into crowds. Fortunately, no one died in the city. But in Linden people died and this is still the subject of debates and could possibly form the basis of legal action.
In Agricola in the wake of a police killing, again there was some crowd disturbance. The police relied heavily on rubber bullets and tear smoke and only when sections of the crowd began attacking passersby.
Toward the end of last week, again the police were called into action, this time in the hinterland. A group of people was mining on lands allocated to a foreign mining company. The relevant authorities sought to get the people to remove by peaceful means. There were meetings with President Donald Ramotar and with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission.
The confrontation came when the police accompanied a team from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission. A woman and her child opted to block the road. In civilized societies, the police would have lifted the people out of the way.
When the protesters dubbed Occupy Wall Street staged their protest near the Brooklyn Bridge the police allowed them to remain there for months. But when it was time for the people to be removed the police did so successfully. There were confrontations; not one bullet was fired and there were no beatings. The police simply waded into the crowd and hauled the protesters off to jail. In short order the protest collapsed.
After the 2011 elections protests and shootings, although no one died the police announced that they were embarking on a rigid training programme. The episode at Marudi shows just how extensive the training was. It also showed the thinking of the police.
Video evidence shows a number of armed ranks and one of them being allowed to use a piece of wood to good effect on man, woman and child. No one attempted to intervene as the sadist swung his piece of wood with disdain for even the cameraman who happened to be on the spot.
This is the disregard the police often show for the watching public; this is the disregard the police show for peace and tranquility in a society. And all we would hear is that an investigation will be undertaken.
The police have repeatedly said that it wants to develop a meaningful relationship with the public. The display by this batch of policemen would do a lot to shatter any hopes the police may have of any relationship with the public.
A British consultancy is involved in reforming the police. We are certain that the consultant now has doubts of the police being able to assimilate any semblance of reform.

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