Police Wives Assoc. says it will not be bullied by the Force’s administration

Jun 16, 2014 News

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– members locked out from meeting place

The administration of the Guyana Police Force has reportedly shot the door on the Police Wives Association (PWA), widening a rift that was brewing since the installment of Seelall Persaud as the Acting Commissioner of Police.
The rift has resulted in the Police Force denying the Association’s members access to the building at Eve Leary, for their customary activities.
The situation reached fever point last Friday when members of the duly registered non-governmental organization, which has been in existence for the past 61 years, turned up at Eve Leary to hold their regular meeting, only to find that the locks had been changed.
But the Association has vowed that it will not be bullied by the Guyana Police Force even if it means resorting to seeking assistance from outside.
They are convinced that the Force is using its position as the association’s main sponsor to take over the running of the PWA.
According to sources at police headquarters, the rift has its origin in the fallout between the Force’s administration and the Past Patron of the Association, Grace Brumell.
Reports reaching this newspaper, the Force’s administration is uncomfortable with the iron clad hold, and legacy that Brumell had left and is seeking to install one of its senior female ranks into a decision making position in the Police Wives Association—a move that is not in keeping with the organisation’s constitution.
Following Mrs. Brumell’s departure at the end of her husband’s tenure as the Commissioner of Police, the PWA’s executive, in March, wrote to the wife of the new head of the Force, inviting her to take up the position, which will make her an ex-officio member.
“She is not an elected member of the executive but because of her husband’s office, the wife of the serving Commissioner would be invited to be the Patron,” a source at Eve Leary stated.
However, there was no acknowledgement of the invitation.
It is not clear why the present Commissioner’s wife has not accepted the invitation to be a part of the organization, especially since all of the previous Commissioners’ wives or spouse have been involved with the PWA, from its inception.
Meanwhile, the police administration wrote to Mrs Brumell requesting that she does a formal handing over of her position to Senior Superintendent of Police Maxine Graham.
But in response, Mrs. Brumell informed the Force that she is appalled at the position taken by them, since their request was not in keeping with the PWA constitution.
It was explained that the Police Force overstepped its boundaries, since it has no jurisdiction over the PWA.
“What the police did was never done in the history of the Police Wives Association. No (previous) police admin has ever written to the outgoing Patron…the Association does that part,” the source said.
The position taken by Brumell along with some members of the Association apparently angered the Force’s administration, which then locked the Association’s members out of the building where they would usually meet. This was in May, last.
“The Association had its anniversary celebrations going and when they turned up there, the locks on the door had been changed. They had stuff in the place to make up hampers to share out to ex-policemen who are less fortunate now and they could not access it,” the source told this newspaper.
Two members of the Association’s Executive subsequently met with Assistant Commissioner Balram Persaud to sort things out.
At that meeting, mention was made of the response that the Force got from Mrs. Brumell to their request and it appeared that the Association was being made to pay the price for that.
An agreement was reached for the Association to access the building in exchange for accepting Senior Superintendent Graham to work along with the PWA.
Things returned to some normalcy for a while.
But later on, the Association sensed that the Force was not being genuine in the repaired relationship.
The alleged scheme was exposed at the Association’s General Meeting last Wednesday.
At that meeting over 100 policewomen, mostly Trainees and Supernumary Constables, turned up with the purpose of joining the Association to give the Police Force a greater hold with more voting strength.
“There is a Police Women’s Organization, so why suddenly all these women want to be a part of the Police Wives Association?” the source asked.
The move was stoutly resisted and again the relation was strained leading to another locking out.
This newspaper was on hand on Friday night to see several members sitting outside their locked meeting place.
“We will try to get our own building because we don’t want to be embarrassed like this anymore,” one member stated.
The Police Wives Association has been responsible for the establishment of several ongoing initiatives that benefit members of the Force and their families.
The Police Force’s daycare was the brainchild of the PWA. The body has also organized a youth programme for the children of policemen and women.
As a result of the lockout, the youth programme has been suspended with the Force withdrawing the minibus that was pledged to provide transportation for the children.
The Association intends to stand up for its right to remain outside the control of the Guyana Police Force, although they know that there could be repercussions for the spouses of members.
“The police tried to take over the association before and most of the members had to back off because of their husbands’ position in the Force,” the source explained.
Presently the association has strength of over 50 members but there are concerns that strength could diminish over the coming years.
“Policemen do not want their wives to join because they are afraid of the victimization whenever we speak out on things affecting us. It is not us the Force will victimizing, it’s our husbands,” one of the members told this newspaper.
The Association however said that it has not closed its doors on the police and are hoping to meet with the Minister of Home Affairs, who they hope could intervene to bring the situation to an amicable resolution.

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