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Can the Coalition stop the hassling of motorists by the police?
DEAR EDITOR,
So much has been written about police hassling motorist on our roadways. Yet the GPF and the Ministry of Public Security seem unable to stop this form of terrorism being perpetuated on the citizenry.
Motorists understand being stopped and asked to produce their driver’s licence by the normal traffic cops in white sleeves. But to be flagged down in some street in your community by a police SUV with 3 or 4 cops wearing bullet-proof vests and huge guns, and asked to produce your documents – sometimes with your kids beside you – is not a pleasant sight. It’s intimidating!
The streets within Eccles, the Haags Bosch dumpsite road and the road from Windsor Estate to Mocha, are presently the playground for this form of terrorism.
I called a taxi a week ago. It took some time to arrive. When we drove off, the driver told me he was flagged by a Police SUV, and when he reached for his documents before being asked, he was told, “We ain’t want see documents, we want four coffee.”
So it seems when the documents cannot create an issue to be fleeced, they just ask for money, point blank”.
There is a Bar in Sarwan Street, Eccles. I was there with some friends one night and I saw a police SUV pull up, one of the ranks spoke to the proprietor, who then beckoned to the Barman, and the cop went to the bar, collected some bottled stuff without paying and retreated to the van.
I asked my friend what happened there. He replied, “normal police procedure.”
Instantly, I was reminded of the 1930’s when the Mafia controlled parts of New York and businesses had to pay them, allegedly for protection.
A motor cyclist told me that he was flagged on Sunday July 29 by the police in Eccles. Sadly, he did not have his licence on him. The rider explained to me that few bikes have any compartment where a driver’s licence could be kept, and when going short distances within the community, he often forgets his licence. He said he least expected the local mafia (police) to hit the turf on a Sunday. After explaining, he was just two streets away and that they could follow him home to see his documents, one of them responded. “Sir, you are supposed to have your licence on you, but today is your lucky day- today is the boss anniversary (nodding to a burly woman in uniform in the back of the SUV cab), we want something to drink.”
The guy told them that he only had $300 on him. Hearing that the cop asked,” If we take you to Providence Station, you could get anybody to carry your document there?” In fear, the guy suggested that he could get a raise to borrow from a relative one street away. The cop said, “we gon follow you.”They followed him and collected a “raise”.
This form of terrorism is not limited to the abovementioned areas. It has always existed all over Guyana. With the help of free vehicles from China, it has reached pandemic proportions.
Does the Coalition have the will or desire to stop this form of terrorism unleashed on the citizenry by those persons (police) who have sworn to serve and protect them?
When the PPP Govt. had raised the cost of a “ticket” for a traffic infringement from $300 to $7000, the head of the PCA (Cecil Kennard) had opined that all that would have done was to increase the amount that police collected from errant drivers. It turned out exactly as he predicted. It seems that the increase was a deliberate ploy by the PPP to subvent the meagre salary paid to police. Does the Coalition have any intention to change that? I think not. We have seen millions wasted on COI’s with “terms of reference” that could in no way improve governance or the lives of any citizen.
What could vehicle owners do to get the President to initiate a COI to determine what is needed to stop this form of corruption by the police? Getting a COI might be easy. While we have seen COIs galore, implementation of the findings has been lacking!
Frustrated Citizen
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