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We are now living in a police state

Mar 07, 2013 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
Every single day I drive in and around Georgetown and at every turn there is a policeman, some with traffic uniform, some serving in the Tactical Services Unit or what I think is a tactical services uniform. Some are in pickups, some on motorcycles, some with radar in hand,and most do not have any such radar in hand.
What is troubling to me is that with all these road stops around Georgetown, East Coast and East Bank Demerara, crime is still fairly high.
Politicians in this country, including this so-called opposition who are claiming they are somehow better than the PPP, are all oblivious to the fact that we are now living in a police state.
Look at the events in Linden, Agricola, at the Fish Shop where a young man’s life was snuffed out, now most recently Marudi. These incidents are occurring daily in our lives where the police exert brutal authority on the people of this country and everyone seems oblivious to it. There seems to be no differentiation between criminals and ordinary citizens. We are all being treated as criminals in this country from the time we wake up to the time we go to bed.
These road stops are nothing more than a money-grabbing and extortion exercise of the poor man in Guyana. Each road stop of a vehicle nets about $2000 – if these road stops net about 50 cars that is one hundred thousand dollars. This is serious money and a massive tax being laid down on the people of this country. Wouldn’t it make more sense to pay policemen better and use the surplus from VAT to pay them versus this tax competing with VAT on our roads?
This situation is so bad that the police at many times blatantly ask persons to “lef something”. This is at every step of the way corrupt behaviour and unacceptable. If you go to the licence office you have to bribe the police rank at the door; if you go to the Deeds Registry you have to do the same because they control who gets called and who does not. When will the people of this country demand changes to this lunacy?
Are the Government and the Opposition of this country so heartless that they have not witnessed this?
I find it hard to believe that the political leaders in this country do not witness this on a daily basis. It is clear as day to me that our liberties and freedoms are being taken away daily with these involuntary intrusions into our lives.
We are a free people and we want freedom, this is not North Korea or Cuba.
Mr. President will you please wake up and do something about this travesty within our midst.
A. Lall

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