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Disciplined Forces Commission…A more professional Police Force is needed – AFC
The Alliance for Change (AFC) says the recommendations of the Reports of the Disciplined Forces Commission that were researched and studied years ago should be implemented for a more professional Police Force, since the Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, is not capable of handling his portfolio and the national assembly has no confidence in his reign.
This is the deduction of Leader of Alliance for Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan at a press conference, yesterday, at Sidewalk Cafe, Middle Street.
Leader of Alliance for Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan.
The President, in accordance with the National Assembly’s Resolution No. 21 of 2003 of the 16th May 2003 for the constitution and appointment of a Disciplined Forces Commission, appointed Ian Chang, Justice of Appeal as Chairman; and Charles Ramson; Anil Nandlall; David Granger and Ms Maggie Beirne, as members.
Ms Beirne resigned from the Commission and, on January 14, 2004, Professor Harold Alexander Lutchman was appointed in her place.
The four forces into which the Commission was required to inquire were the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Prison Service and the Guyana Fire Service, the heads of which were the Commissioner, Chief of Staff, Director and Chief Fire Officer, respectively.
Ramjattan said the recommendations include recruitment of more qualified personnel with higher qualifications, other than a mere five subjects at CXC.
“We have to have cadetship where graduates are going to be more installed as members of the police force, even if there is need for training overseas.”
He explained “Political interference at the Ministerial level ought to be zero. If a policeman has to ensure a politician is arrested for fraud or whatever it is, they are allowed to do their job. And senior policemen ought to be allowed to speak their mind to members of the public and not be shut up by the Minister’s, like Mr David Ramnarine was.”
He further said that it demoralizes young men who want to do their jobs of ensuring the security of the Guyanese people.
The AFC Leader further emphasized that the other recommendations include raising the salaries of policemen so that they would not fall to the temptation of corruption.
“The Police Force should imbue the entire systems and networks with modern policing systems rather than beating up people to get confessions out of them as is the norm. We want intelligent, smart policing, and that is why it was such a shock that when the British wanted to support us with two billion dollars in funds they were refused by this Government.”
“It would appear as if this government wants an unprofessional police force. A brighter police force can catch politicians, Ministers and senior government officials, and I suspect that might be the reason government does not want Scotland Yard officials and Interpol to come into the country, since they are willing to enhance the modernization of the police force.”
He added that the lack of leadership by Minister Rohee is uninspiring to police for their development.
The Discipline Forces Commission, in the final analysis, made 164 recommendations to reform the Disciplined Forces. It found that Guyana faced transnational dangers to national security and public safety posed by narco-trafficking, weapons-smuggling, money-laundering, back-tracking (illegal migration) and terrorism.
National and international developments had impacted on the operations of the Disciplined Forces but commensurate changes in legislation, organisation and administration in all such areas seem not to have been made. Given their current resources, composition and capability, the Forces seemed unable or unwilling to confront social disorder and internal disturbance. Public safety and national security suffered as a consequence.
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