Brute force and indifference

Feb 09, 2014 AFC Column, Features / Columnists

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By Dominic Gaskin,
AFC Treasurer

Most Guyanese by now are familiar with the story of Colwyn Harding, the young man who was violently and disgustingly abused by officers of the Guyana Police Force, two months ago.  Most Guyanese, even though outraged, would not have been surprised by the fact that a fellow citizen could have been so savagely mistreated by those responsible for the safety and protection of our people.

This is hardly the first time that we’ve been treated to such graphic descriptions of violent excesses carried out by our police officers against members of the public. We live in a society where police brutality is not uncommon, yet we choose to do nothing about it because most of us would rather ‘live good’ with the police, and are willing to turn a blind eye to the unacceptable and inhumane practices of these agents of the State.
What this says about civil society in Guyana is not the main issue here, but it is worth noting that collectively we do have the power to arrest this monster by making it clear that we will no longer accept the situation that exists. If we choose not to exercise this power, then we cannot expect to enjoy the benefits of a modern and professional police force anytime soon. Can we afford to deny ourselves this opportunity?
But this goes way beyond the responsibilities of the citizenry to address this issue. The Government of Guyana must take full responsibility for a police force that is now out of control. Most Guyanese can tell tales about unsavoury interactions with police officers. It is an open secret that drivers’ licences are routinely acquired for a fee. Traffic cops are ‘drawing down’ daily from the nation’s road users.
The Minister of Home Affairs is either asleep at the wheel or in a state of denial when it comes to the most important agency under his watch. He also clearly has no idea how a modern police force should function. He seems particularly unaware of the nexus between public confidence and effective policing. He has learnt little from his experiences in the National Assembly.
Minister Rohee’s shortcomings should not be allowed to blight the entire nation.  Guyana has an Executive President who ought to be astute enough to assess the performance of his ministers and replace those who are not achieving the results targeted by his government. Perhaps he has set low targets for the safety and security of his citizens and finds his Minister’s performance satisfactory? Or perhaps he too is unaware that, without public confidence, the police force cannot function effectively?  Surely he doesn’t think that the Guyana Police Force enjoys the confidence of the public.
There are some other troubling features of this incident which do little to inspire confidence in our public institutions. The abuse of Colwyn Harding began in a private dwelling, in the presence of at least three police officers. It continued in a police outpost and then for some time in a police station, where one assumes a chain of command exists and information is exchanged and records kept.  It would appear that there are no measures in place to capture any mistreatment of those held in custody at either of these places. Why would any Officer-in-Charge not wish to be assured that all is well in the station for which he has responsibility? Unless, as many suspect, there is some tacit understanding that physical punishment of prisoners at the whims of police ranks is okay. It is not. That is not the role of the police in a civilized society; and at this point we need to question whether we consider ourselves a civilized society.
During his ordeal, Mr. Harding also appeared before a magistrate, spent some time in a prison infirmary, saw a doctor and received treatment at a public hospital. Given our understanding of human nature, it is not unreasonable to assume that a young man charged with assaulting a police officer would become the focus of some retaliation while in custody. It is therefore astounding that, all along the way, so little attention was paid to his wellbeing. Have our magistrates become so hardened that they no longer pay attention to the condition of prisoners appearing before them? Is there a special arrangement between the medical profession and the police force that allows doctors to treat prisoners for injuries without enquiring how those injuries were sustained?
The public will recall the incident a few years ago where a medical doctor examined and treated a hooded teenager with mutilated genitals who was in the custody of the police, and seemed to think this was quite normal.
Abuses of citizens by police occur in all societies with varying frequencies. The more advanced the society, the greater the likelihood that these abuses will be picked up by internal mechanisms designed to protect the rights of citizens. Guyana has a long way to go in this regard and so for now the trick is: do not get arrested.
The AFC has condemned the brutal treatment of Mr. Harding by the Guyana Police Force from the moment it came to the public’s attention. The President of Guyana seems reluctant to show any outrage, preferring to await the outcome of investigations.  He has, nevertheless, condemned the manner in which some sections of the media have reported the incident. He has also expressed his reservations about the claims being made by Mr. Harding. None of his utterances on this matter are reassuring to a public that has good reason to believe that our Police Force is in dire need of reform.

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