Police attitude and involvement in crime among major concerns of Plaisance/Sparendaam residents

Aug 29, 2013 News

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By Zena Henry
Residents of the East Coast Demerara villages of Plaisance and Sparendaam on Tuesday got a change after a very long time to speak candidly about issues which they say are hampering their co-existence with ranks of the Sparendaam Police Station.
Most notable was a collective outcry by residents that police involvement in crime in the community and their attitude towards citizens, especially young residents, are major hindrances towards a co-habitable relationship between the two sides.  Villagers told a panel of senior police ranks and community business people that they are facing victimization, poor service and lack of concern by ranks of the Sparendaam Police Station.

As a result, residents said, their once good community is no longer safe. The residents were also bent on saving their very popular and regular Plaisance lime activities from the likes of criminal elements, suggesting that the police should play an integral role in ensuring clean and safe fun instead of partaking in the illegal activities that are occurring.
Pastor Basil Roberts, a member of the Sparendaam Police Station Management Committee told the anxious gathering at the Plaisance Community High School to do away with their shyness and be frank about their feelings towards what he described as a “fractured” relationship between residents and the police. The Pastor noted that the Station Management Committee and the new Officer-in-Charge, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ms. Cristal Robertson saw the need to have constructive discourse between the police and the community to breakdown old barriers and build bridges of cooperation.
Former Parliamentarian Aubrey Norton started off the meeting by suggesting a complete re-education of the Police Force. He opined that police officers are operating in the village as law makers instead of law enforcers; citing incidents where police officers are disrespectful to persons and demanding money from them. He pointed out one instance where a group of young men requested elders to hear music from a string band they had put together in Plaisance. Norton said when the band however started, two policemen demanded that they stop playing, or else. Norton said when he asked the policeman what law the band was violating, the rank said, “it is not about law, the police say it got to stop.” He pointed to another matter where he witnessed policemen on patrol take away money from young men on the Plaisance Line Top, and when spoken to, the young lads refused to make reports for fear of victimization.

Norton reiterated that the police needs an “attitudinal metamorphosis,” before stating that, “You know something is wrong with the system, when criminals feel more comfortable with the police than the citizens.”
Another resident told the panel that police officers from the station were getting involved in illegal activities in the community and befriending the criminal elements. It was noted that while the police are harassing the small man on the road with a “joint”, they were allowing the drug dealers to go free or could even be seen with the said “drug pushers”.  The residents further stated that this unorthodox affiliation was causing the imbalance in the community, because when complaints are made against those said elements, they are not dealt with because the offender might have police friends.
Residents spoke also about inconsistent patrols in the community and the unprofessional tone of officers taking reports or answering the telephone during an emergency. To the patrols, residents said that since the local power company removed several street lights, petty crime and violence increased.
As a result, there are certain “hot spots” in the community which they believe should see constant police presence. One such part, a woman said, is the Victoria Road Backdam, where residents have to walk in groups for fear of being robbed. She said that petty thieves prey, especially on shift workers; as such, fearful residents would wait in groups, and dare not walk alone. The gathering all agreed that the only time the police come around is after an incident, to which they drive around and go away.
Another woman spoke about gun violence in the area and charged that persons have difficulty giving information to the police, since they would then be targeted by the said gunmen. Residents blurted out that while the police claim that residents do not give information, it is the police who are carrying back the information and endangering their lives. One man spoke about aggressive police officers and those who dismiss urgent situations. Several persons talked about police hostility, with a notable statement, “we ain’t get

vehicle, all deh out”; “wha u want me fuh do?” Another person even mentioned that at one time officers blatantly refused to come to the community on a report.
ASP Robertson has been in charge of the Sparendaam Police Station since February this year. She did not hesitate to ask her ranks who were available to own up to irregularities that the residents were complaining about. In one instance, she called upon a named officer who was highlighted for his deficiencies, but as soon as he heard his name, he disappeared from the meeting. Robertson, after answering many of the resident’s questions, gave a promise to earnestly deal with problems the community faces as long as she is stationed at the Sparendaam Police Station. However, as more residents stepped to the microphone to highlight their issues with the Police Force, a sudden “blackout” brought an abrupt end to the proceedings.

 

 

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