Junior police ranks are a victimized, oppressed group

Sep 18, 2016 Letters

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Dear Editor,
I was motivated to write this letter after listening to Assistant Commissioner David Ramnarine in the media lashing out at the police about soliciting from members of the public and other corrupt practices, Freddie Kissoon’s constant attack on traffic and other patrol ranks regarding routine stop and search and Minister Ramjattan’s constant misconception of the police, but first I’ll address David Ramnarine. I’ve served the Guyana police force for thirteen years, and I choose to resign four years ago with an unblemished record due to my moral value and the dirty administrative practices within the Guyana Police Force.
I am not in support of police ranks taking bribe, soliciting and other malpractices, but I’ve known this to be an administrative problem within the GPF since ranks are forced to solicit from the public for personal or administrative gain. I often keep in contact with some of my former colleagues in the force to know what’s going on and with the information I usually receive makes Ramnarine looks like his head is buried in the sand, but in this letter I will exhume it. I noted that at the recent conference held at the police officers mess by Ramnarine had mainly junior ranks from traffic and patrol section of the police force and a large number of media houses, which I saw as another one of David Ramnarine’s bluff in his boast mode coupled with his scape-goating plans if, that’s right IF he becomes the next police commissioner.
The practice of the junior ranks within the GPF today is to be blamed on the administration of the GPF. It was the same Ramnarine that boasted to the media in 2011, that he had to solicit money from business people to feed the ranks in his division during the 2011 election period and was sanctioned. Did the money and other items that Ramnarine had solicited went through the Commissioner of Police, which is in keeping with the standing order? And was it properly recorded, well that was Ramnarine boasting to the media back then not conscious that he’d done something wrong.
At the conference, Ramnarine was telling his ranks to have better relationship with the media. How foolish it looked of him to say such. How can you tell the junior ranks to have a better relationship with the media, when they are not allowed to talk to the media? It made me question whether Ramnarine was conscious that he’s addressing junior ranks and not the various divisional commanders. In the GPF the junior ranks are at a disadvantage and the force has a serious marginalization problem.
Here are some of the things that are forcing junior ranks to go solicit money from the public; (1) junior ranks are spending a lot of money from their already small salary to travel to attend court on countless occasions and are not being refunded. (2) the GPF that receives billions of dollars from the annual budget are constantly holding Bar-B-Q, take away lunches and raffles and are giving the junior ranks five to ten tickets to go sell on the road. (3) Senior officer in the force are holding these said activities and are giving the tickets to traffic ranks to sell to motorist. (4) the force administration is taking money out of the junior ranks salary without their consent for parties and other ventures. (5) there are many times when junior ranks are forced to go into their pockets to purchase items required for their duty, such as stationeries and safety items. (6) there are divisional commanders and officers who are sending junior ranks on the road to solicit from the public for staff parties and other ventures.
David Ramnarine can attest to the above situations, since he was also forced to solicit from the public and his conscience would tell him if he does send or ever sent his subordinates to do such. The practice of corruption in the Guyana Police force is a monster created by the force administration and is also being practiced among commanders and other senior officers.
Let me continue to exhume Ramnarine’s head from the sand by asking him these questions (1) When will the practice of only persons who are relatives of senior officers having little or no qualifications being selected for immigration? (2) When will the senior officers who are the owners of mining operations and poultry/cash crop farms stop sending junior ranks to work on their farms with the police force vehicles? (3) When the police ranks that are stationed in some interior locations are giving their commanding officer those large amounts of cash and raw gold, do they enquired from these ranks where they got it from? (4) When will we see officers stop physically assaulting junior ranks and nothing comes out of it? (5) When will the force administration stop exploiting the junior ranks financially? (6) When will the victimization and verbal abuse on junior ranks by their superiors stop?(7) When will senior officers allow junior ranks to prosecute their friends who violated the law, and stop obstructing and victimizing them for doing their job? And (8) when will the force administration stop flouting the standing orders? Those are some questions that Ramnarine must answer. I will like for Asst. Commissioner hold a conference of that nature with his administrative officers in the presence of the media and deal with the said corruption issues. There are many senior officers in the force who need purging like these junior ranks, but due to their status, their corrupt acts are being cover up.
I now turn to Mr. Freddie Kissoon who is constantly writing about the traffic and other patrol ranks routine stop and search; this made me question whether Freddie is really a social activist or someone who’s looking for attention in the media by expressing his obsession with the police. Under the laws of Guyana, the police have powers to stop, search and detain under reasonable suspicion at the same time I want to know what authority does Freddie Kissoon has to obstruct the police duty, or is it a case where he’s looking for attention from those police. Today Guyana is being plagued by increased gun crimes and the presence of illegal firearms.
It is those said routine stop and search that caused the success of intercepting illegal firearms, narcotic drugs and wanted persons, and it amazes me how it now became Freddie’s obsession. Is Freddie concerned about the constant terrorizing on citizens by criminals? I guess not, because they haven’t stuck him up and take away his dog. I will ask Kissoon to weigh the pros and cons in regards to the police routine stop and search and the present criminal activities.
Former policeman

Editor’s note: Because of its length, this letter will continue in our next edition

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