A new police force is needed

Aug 28, 2014 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has been a feature of our country for 175 years. It was established in 1839 under the British. There was a period when the members of the force were recruited from across the socio-economic spectrum. As a unit, the force was respected more than feared. It indeed served and protected the people well.
It ranks did not burn teenagers’ genitals and hands, and shoot them in the mouth, or use batons to sodomize suspects. Furthermore, it was not corrupt, and police officers were not basically told by the ruling cabal who to charge or not charge. In other words, the force was an independent entity.
This is not the situation now. We have a crooked, repressive and barbaric Police Force which the people have no confidence in. Many ranks publicly ask mini-bus and taxi drivers for bribes, mothers and sisters for money or sex as a payment for the release of their sons, and brothers who are arrested on fake or trump-up charges.
The Police Force has very little credibility; therefore it is rare to have a middle- or upper-class young person express an admiration for it. It is known that the force has members who have gained advanced degrees; however, the anecdotes suggest that this is not the norm but the exception.
We do not recall any recent public pronouncement by senior officers against rogue cops, and this has badly tarnished the reputation and image of the force. They do charge some rogue cops, but only after a public outcry. And very few are convicted, because the police prosecutors often present very weak evidence in court against these rogue cops.
At this stage, the statistics, dripping with blood, show that for the 12 years when Jagdeo was in power, the Guyana Police Force was accused of killing several innocent youths, mostly Afro-Guyanese and unlawfully raiding a number of homes and arresting hundreds of them in Albouystown, South Ruimveldt and Agricola, just to name a few black enclaves in Georgetown.
This is frightening. The Guyana Police Force is the most primitive and one of the most corrupt security entities in the country. And this corruption starts from high up and winds its way down to the bottom. To stop and arrest young men in the streets at random and force them to confess to a crime that they did not commit by beating them is wicked, barbaric and highly unprofessional. And the reason the senior police officers allowed such cruelty to continue is because they are no different.
So pouring more money into the Police Force with the aim of having better results at solving crimes is like trying to resurrect the dead. It will not happen. Therefore, we call on the Minister of Home Affairs to cease and desist from making silly statements in the public and end police brutality and corruption and re-establish a professional and competent police force.
Based on various reports, most police are very backward in the execution of their duties, but are very bold and barefaced in asking for bribes from innocent citizens in exchange for not arresting them or their relatives. They have no dignity, no self-respect, and no shame and are corrupt to the hilt.
We have concluded that Guyana needs a new policing organization or a redo of the existing force to make it truly reflective of the ideals to “serve and protect” and not to violate the human rights of innocent citizens. This has gravely damaged the image of the force and the aspirations of any and all persons who want to become police officers. It is our opinion that most of the members of the force are those whose job options are limited in scope, so the force has become an organization of last resort — for those who cannot find employment elsewhere.
The people of Guyana need a force that they can trust and one that would protect them and not harm, hurt or steal from them. The Police Force has to begin a new relationship with the people and trust must be integrated as a dominant feature.
We are aware that this proposed redo of the force is a massive undertaking, but it can be done through attrition. It is urgently needed to maintain proper law and order. In the end, it will be worth the cost because it will reorient an agency that employs thousands to safeguard the security of the citizens. It will be a tangible approach to save money, recreate trust, and instill a sense of pride and dignity within the force.
As of now, the widespread criminal activity is costing taxpayers a fortune, at least six percent of GDP growth each year. This type of economic growth is needed in the country to increase revenue, add permanent jobs, and increase the delivery of goods and services to all citizens.
Most Guyanese know that crime is a major problem. Policing is also a major problem. Yet the Minister of Home Affairs has not done anything substantial to eradicate this problem and re-establish a competent, incorruptible and professional Police Force. Guyana needs a police force that the citizens can trust and be proud of.
Asquith Rose and Harish Singh

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