Random checks and no discretion

Jan 22, 2018 Letters

Dear Editor,
I visited Essequibo Coast during the Christmas holidays. Being considered by many as an activist for justice on that turf, I was greeted by a barrage of complaints as I moved around the Coast.
I was made to understand that the Police having acquired a large fleet of motor cycles and buses from China have unleashed some sort of blitzkrieg on motor vehicle owners. The assault comes in the form of speed gun, breathalyzer and random document checks.
We all know that what may seem like war is just made believe, the rice Industry struggling, it is perceived that the only ones with the dough are vehicle owners—it is a strategy to harvest it by coercion. While random checking for documents is illegal, in Georgetown that part of the Police Training Manual never seemed to have reached the Richard Faikal Training School since it was established there. With the extra mobility provided by China, the Police in Essequibo have escalated random checks for documents.
Three years ago I had experienced what it felt like to be a victim of these random checks. I had just emerged from the back dam on to the public road on my motor cycle with a mist blower on my back. About 100 rods from my home a biker cop overtook me and signalled me to stop.
“Good morning Sir, documents please.” I explained to him that I was coming from the back dam, indicating the blower on my back as evidence and that I could not carry my documents in such conditions since they would be damaged by the perspiration or weather, but if he wants to see my documents he could follow me since I live just seven lots away from where we were.
He responded,”Sir you failed to produce your license, I have to give you a ticket. He gave me a ticket and rode off. Enraged, I went home, showered and went to the commander’s office at Anna Regina with all my documents. After explaining what had transpired to the commander he called the senior traffic rank and asked for the policeman who unfortunately was not around.
“Look, here is the man’s license, (giving the traffic rank my license and ticket) the man was seven house lots from his home and he (the biker cop ) could not go and verify his license before writing a ticket. You have to control your men. They have to learn to use their discretion,” said the commander.
The traffic rank uttered something about talking to them every day. The commander returned his attention to something on paper he was discussing with another senior rank when I came in. The traffic rank returned my license and ticket to me and I somehow felt no one was paying attention to me, so I asked, “Sir so wah a gone do with this ticket”.
The commander replied, “You have to pay it or go to court, that is the law.” I had to pay $7000. If you are looking for the “strangest accomplices,” check the GPF!
I am not aware of when and how the law was changed from the granting of time to produce documents to producing driver’s license on demand. What I am certain of, is that none of the 65 MPs give a thought to the difficulty and impractically they created for farmers who use motor bikes and tractors to produce. The law was changed in the PPP regime and when farmers had complained about harassment by the police; instead of adding a clause to exempt open air vehicles (motor cycles and tractors) they passed a circular through the police force for police to use their discretion.
To give the police a chance to use their discretion in the execution of a law is to make them, judge, jury and executioner—the perfect recipe for corruption or should I say, corruption supported by law.
Farmers in Guyana would like to see the Minister of Public Security grant owners of tractors and motor cycle time to produce their driver’s license. Owners of vehicles in Essequibo are also awaiting the arrival of the observance of the illegality of random checks for documents by the police.
Concerned Citizen

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