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Just arrant nonsense

Jun 08, 2015 Editorial

To describe the attention that the Minister of Public Security, Hon. Khemraj Ramjattan is paying in the status of the police torture duo as control freakism is arrant nonsense.
The Minister is on record as saying that he will reform the Guyana Police Force and to expect him to make anything less than a total effort in that direction is akin to saying that we do not take him and his expressed intention seriously.The Commissioner showed bad judgment when he facilitated the promotion of the duo, and he erred when he said that they were exonerated.  They were not period.
Again, it does not appear as if Mr. Ramjattan is saying that the Commissioner of Police is not within his power to post officers and ranks to any part of the Force.
What everyone must understand is that if those postings are done whimsically and not based upon any logical reasoning, or simply intended as a punishment, or as a means of stifling progressive and independent thought, e.g. transfer to Mounted Branch or the nebulous Projects Office, the Minister has a right to enquire into those matters.
The police in this country do not have the luxury of a union where they can take complaints about the conduct of superiors in rank that is tyrannical and oppressive although this odious practice is covered by the Standing Orders.
If the government policies are formulated to achieve a democratic, universally respected police service, then the Minister is duty bound to monitor the actions that are supposed to bring about that result.  Posting officers and ranks to areas for which they are clearly unsuited would clearly be inimical to effective and efficient human resources management principles.
The confusion that Ministers face has its root in a misunderstanding of role.  The Minister is not expected to direct – say that a box formation is better than an arrowhead in public disorder events and that is what he wants to see in future, but he can enquire why a riot unit did not take steps to de-escalate a situation, which in his view did not require a particular action e.g. deadly force.  In the final analysis, the buck stops temporarily at the Minister, but ultimately with the Government of which he is part.
If the Government is alarmed that the police seem incapable of getting on top of road traffic safety, drugs, and/or human trafficking, it is the subject Minister who has the task of demanding that the Commissioner come up with a viable plan to address the situation.
The impression is gained that notwithstanding his limitations and in spite of his good intentions, the former Minister of Home Affairs, did not have the benefit of good technical advice as it relates to law enforcement. It seems that he was misled although in the twilight of his ministerial career he is said to have become more welcoming of ideas, but alas too late as the cry goes.
Minister Ramjattan has a background in law and we do not expect him to fall for the blandishments and attempts to mislead which befell his predecessor.  He has to take charge regardless of the criticism that will come his way as surely as day follows night.  He has to demand that the GPF show him a plan that is aligned to his government’s vision for the future.
He must accept no less than a structured approach complete with timelines, milestones and responsibilities for projected achievements.  The Minister has the tough job of cutting through the vagueness and demanding clear unambiguous progressive policies that reflect a police organisation in transition to being respected and is respectful of human rights and due process.
The Commissioner and his officers have a responsibility of being themselves, examples of the seven virtues of policing namely prudence, trust, effacement of self-interest, courage, intellectual honesty, justice and responsibility.
If these are upheld there would be no need for torture or roughing up.  If anything, the citizenry will be appreciative that positive results in terms of crime prevention, successful prosecution were gained by adherence to the rule of law.  The prospect of failure should not be the catalyst for unprofessional conduct even to the point of securing a confession or conviction.

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