Changes in the police force

Apr 08, 2014 Editorial

It may be a bit early to expect more than a few cosmetic changes from the new command structure of the Guyana Police Force. The passage of time has not lessened the evils of political partisanship which inevitably impacts law enforcement and the administration of justice in this country.
A few notable Commissioners of Police in the 48 years since independence have served their political cohorts and themselves better than the general public. Shifting around of officers with no apparent thought given to their operational efficiency and effectiveness is a practice which predates the acting Commissioner of Police although he was for a significant portion of his career, an integral part of what citizens have come to accept as law enforcement.
It looks as if this will be a continued feature of the new administration.
But chief among the practices which the police seem bent on sticking with is the unhelpful attitude of being reactive instead of adopting a proactive approach to the concerns of the very people whose safety depends on the existence of a professional police force.
The administration of the force might not wish to identify the positives derived from the use of provocative language when writing letters in response to public comment in the media. However, surely the unintended result is the highlighting of the maladroitness that passes for police public relations efforts.
It is time that some serious displacement is considered in that section if the new commissioner intends to achieve any public empathy for his initiatives which it is reasonable to assume he has. The trick will be to operate effectively at the level of professional efficiency and with independence that the office demands.
Politicians have unashamedly compromised the institutional capacity of the force to adapt to the emergent challenges of the twenty-first century. What citizens have been forced to endure for years are unsustainable and not well thought out programs which have been hijacked by political expediency and adhocracy.
There is no evidence that the force solicits advice on any aspect of its operations apart from the Director of Public Prosecutions; it is as if the collective mindset is one which says “we know it all.”
Other police forces and armies (including the U.S. Southern Command) make use of advisors but Guyana Police Force continues to hobble down a path which earns it ridicule and disrespect. People hardly ever believe police press releases are anything more than attempts at cover-ups in the hope that memories will fade after a day or two.
Of course the direct references to Kaieteur News definitely mirror the ruling party’s position on the freedom of the private media.
It does not look as if the public relations department analyses issues and provides the type of professional advice that surely is required before the commissioner makes a decision to respond (make that react) or put an item in the public domain.
If the commissioner receives advice from his public relations officer then he needs to re-evaluate the department’s terms of reference soonest. The force requires the type of strategic advice and support for the development of institutional capacities for professional policing and organizational reform.
The new commissioner will have to be focused on creating and maintaining strategic partnerships. What is likely to be problematic is the level of support that will be available to him in terms of in-depth analysis of the security situation and advice on strategies to enhance the re-establishment (or introduction) of innovative policing activities to enhance better law enforcement in particular for vulnerable groups, including women and children in high risk areas.
The force’s approach to the future should be one which apart from retaining some elements of traditional policing reflects a reliance on strategic guidance and advice which complements research into various issues impacting on law enforcement.
This could in the medium term, achieve tangible results for improvements to sustainable law enforcement programmes. One important means by which internal and external involvement can be developed and maintained is through heightened visibility of programmes through properly coordinated knowledge sharing framework, and well developed communication materials.
By focusing efforts on promoting ethics and integrity, the initiatives to create an environment of creativity and innovation while building individual competence the force can achieve that elusive professionalism.

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Changes in the police force

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