Police force withdraws support for Police Wives’ Association

Jun 17, 2014 News

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– says organization was disrespectful to senior female officer

The Guyana Police Force appeared to have permanently severed ties with the Police Wives Association (PWA), when it formally announced yesterday that it has withdrawn support for the organization.
The announcement comes a day after the Association accused the Force’s administration of bullyism.
The Police Wives Association had claimed that the Guyana Police Force had locked its members out of a building at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, after the Association refused to accept the attempted dictates of an “illegally” installed senior female police officer.
The body had also claimed that the Police Force wanted to establish control over the duly registered body which has been in existence for the past 61 years and which falls under the auspices of the Guyana Friendly Burial Cooperative Society.
But in a strong response, the police, through its Public Relations Officer, Ivelaw Whittaker, accused the PWA of being disrespectful to a senior female police officer and other female members of the Guyana Police Force.
The Force debunked several claims made by the PWA regarding the make-up of its executive body, and its contribution to several programmes within the Guyana Police Force set up.
The rift between the two sides has its origin in the aftermath of the departure of the last patron of the organization, Grace Brumell, the wife of former Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell.
According to the police force, following the demitting of office by former Commissioner Brumell, there were some issues regarding the Patron and Ex-Officio Officer of the Association.
The Force did not say what these issues were but according to reports, strong letters were exchanged between Mrs. Brumell and the Force’s officer responsible for Administration.
This, the police said, has caused the Force to review its participation with the Police Wives’ Association.
“The review found that the Executive Committee of the Police Wives’ Association consisted of persons among whom were not the wives of serving, retired or deceased members of the Police Force, with the exception of a Police Sergeant who is the Treasurer, and another who is the wife of a serving officer,” the police explained.
The Force said that it should be noted that there are persons on the Executive Committee of the PWA who ought not to have been members of the Police Wives’ Association in the first place, and therefore their presence on the Executive Committee is in breach of the Constitution.
Addressing the establishment of the PWA, the police stated that while the body may have been in existence for some time, it was formalised in the year 2000 when it was registered under the Friendly Societies Act Ch. 36:04.
It was explained that the Constitution of the Guyana Police Wives’ Association was amended in 2010, and among other things it catered for: (1) Membership shall be open to all wives of policemen in active service, retired or deceased, and policewomen in active service or retired who are interested in the work of the Association and would like to offer voluntary service for the upliftment of the Association.
(2) The wife of the Commissioner of Police in active service shall be Patron and an Ex- Officio Officer.
However, it must be noted that the PWA had sent at least two letters inviting the wife of the current head of the Force to be its Patron. There has been no response to those invitations.
The revised PWA constitution also provides for the Patron, Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Secretary/Treasurer and five other members must be policewomen, or wives of policemen, and they shall form the Executive Committee.
The members of the Executive Committee must be selected from among the members of the Association and the Patron chairs meetings of the Executive Committee.
It is felt by the Force that the current composition of the Executive Body does not allow for the interests of the Force to be represented or advanced, regarding its objectives.
The Force went further to consult with the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security and it was revealed that the Association has not met its legal requirements under the Act since 2007, in that audited financial statements have not been submitted.
Consequently, the Force’s Administration, through the most Senior Female Officer, attempted to encourage the Executive Body of the PWA to hold an Annual General Meeting under the Constitution that provides for the election of Office Bearers.
“The Executive Body initially agreed, but thereafter bluntly refused and from all indications, the ensuing communications smacked of disrespect for the Senior Female Police Officer and other female members of the Force who were engaged in the discussions,” the Police Force said.
In light of this, the Guyana Police Force then took a decision to withdraw its support to the Police Wives’ Association.
With regards to the Juliet Griffith Day Care Centre, which the PWA claimed was its brainchild, the police said that the facility was established in 1994, six years prior to the formalisation of the Police Wives’ Association.
The police said that the daycare centre is resourced and managed by the Guyana Police Force with assistance from the Police Wives’ Association in an arrangement that provides for the most Senior Female Police Officer being responsible to the Commissioner of Police for the operations of the Day Care Centre.
The Force pointed out that in contemporary times; the Association has not contributed anything tangible with regards to the Police Day Care Centre nor the serving husbands within the Police Force.
Similarly it has not done anything tangible regarding any of its objectives.

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