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“I will not change my style of fighting crime”- 2013 Best Cop
Most if not all the criminals in Guyana are familiar with the name Inspector Caesar; he is responsible for putting many of them behind bars.
Inspector Mitchell Caesar receives his Best Cop Award from Deputy Chief Immigration Officer, Assistant Commissioner Carol Primo.
And he does not plan to change his method of doing so. In fact, he intends to intensify his work in the coming year to ensure that unless they change, the undesirables remain where they belong, behind the cold concrete and grilled walls of prison.
For his efforts, inspector Mitchell Caesar, who heads the firearm investigations department at the Criminal Investigations Department Headquarters, Eve Leary, pipped a competitive field to be adjudged the Best Cop for 2013.
It was the second time in his police career, which started in February 1992, that he has copped the award; the first being 2005.
And for this to happen, the Force’s administration has obviously shown confidence in his work and is publicly acknowledging it.
Speaking with this newspaper shortly after receiving the award, which came with a $250,000 cash award and a plaque, among other awards from a private sector concern, the popular Detective Inspector said that this year’s achievement was very satisfying.
“The first time I felt that the competition wasn’t so tough, but this time a lot of ranks were fighting for the top spot, so this was all the more rewarding,” Caesar said.
He described himself as a very straight and fair policeman; hitting out at those who feel that he is sometimes too forceful in his approach towards criminals.
“I always remember that I have a family, and what I mete out to people could be meted out to my family,” he said.
Of course those critics would be the relatives of those who Caesar has had to confront on numerous occasions in the execution of his duty.
He maintained that he will not be distracted by those few, since he has a duty to protect the majority law abiding citizens from the criminals who are bent on making life uncomfortable.
Crime Chief Seelall Persaud (Fourth from left) poses with recipients of Best Cop Awards for the various police Divisions.
“To criminals, yes, it might appear that I’m a bit unorthodox but I honestly believe that is the way to go,” Caesar told this newspaper, adding “I will not change my way of fighting crime.”
He singled out two of his superiors, Crime Chief Seelall Persaud and his deputy Winston Cosbert, who he said shaped his career in a significant way.
“You see, as a policeman, especially a Detective, you need ( role models)…they would have been to that podium before, so following them is always a good thing,” Caesar stated.
He recalled being driven by the encouragement he received from his superiors, in many instances working for days on end trying to solve cases.
He referred to a piracy matter that saw him and other detectives covering all three counties in a matter of days.
“We started in Georgetown and at the end of another day we were in Region One, Barima/Waini. Before the end of the week we were back in Georgetown and heading to Berbice,” Caesar explained.
Although he will strive to work harder, Caesar said that he will certainly want some of his other colleagues to win the coveted Best Cop award.
“I will continue working the same way but I don’t think I will enter the competition,” he said with a chuckle.
Apart from the overall Best Cop award, Caesar was also adjudged the Top Cop for Police Headquarters.
Several other ranks were adjudged Best Cop for their respective Divisions.
The award scheme started in 1990 with $824,000 being disbursed among ranks. However, 23 years later, a payout of $13M to ranks who performed outstandingly throughout the year both in terms of crime fighting and sports was announced.
This year’s police Sportsman of the Year is 2012 Olympian Sergeant Winston George, while the Sportswoman of the Year award went to Lance Corporal Alita Moore.
Apart from police ranks, special commendation awards were given to members of several community policing groups.
Businessman Cobeer Persaud also threw in his lot by donating $100,000 each to the relatives of two policemen who were killed in last month’s shootout with a deranged businessman on Middle Street.
Meanwhile, despite the odds and the four percent increase in reports of serious crimes, the Force has been holding its own within recent times.
Ironically, gun crimes have been a major cause of the increase in serious crimes, a problem that this year’s Best Cop will have to deal with in the coming year.
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