Corruption is endemic in the police force

Nov 26, 2018 Letters

Dear Editor,
I am very busy these days and I do not get the time to write letters, but I am sure that you are aware of how the police tweak evidences and take bribe to deny justice to victims.
Another thing that I want to bring to your attention with the hope that your paper would highlight some time in the future, is under what condition should a driver be asked to park his car in the police compound and beplaced in custody, then asked to post a hefty bail – whether he is made to sit on a bench or placed in the lock-ups.
Most times the matter never makes it to the court, and it ends up with the police splitting up the bail money posted.
Personally, I have had some very unfavorable experiences at the hands of the police for minor traffic offences, which I am of the opinion could have been sorted out by a warning, or a simple ticket.
A couple of weeks ago I was stopped at Craig and taken to the Grove Police Station. The offence was that I overtook on the solid yellow line at Craig. My explanation was dismissed by everyone at the station. The fact of the matter was that there were several trucks parked on the western side of the road, and one could not have passed without crossing the yellow line.
When I was stopped and arrested, the police looked at my document and they discovered that my vehicle revenue licence had expired about a week earlier. I bear responsibility for this as I do not check my documents too often. Had it not been for the Officer’s check, I would not have realized that my licence had expired.
It is my opinion that these traffic violations could have been addressed by issuing one or two tickets to me. Instead I was taken to the police station and made to waste half a day. Eventually a ‘deal’ was cut and I was made to go.
Sitting on the bench at Grove Police Station for almost four hours, I was able to witness several drivers being brought into the station. Some for very serious traffic offences, including one whereby a truck driven by a man under the influence almost ran over some students on the pedestrian crossing opposite the Friendship Secondary School.
The teacher took time off and went to the station with a number of children whose lives were endangered. Unfortunately, the matter never made it to the Magistrate’s Court, and it seemed as if a ‘deal’ was cut between the driver and the police.
On Monday, November 9, I was driving from Parika to Georgetown, and the police stopped me at Den Amstel, WCD. I had forgotten to put on my seat belt, and was asked to lock my car and invited into the police station. Again, I was made to sit there for several hours, until a ‘deal’ was cut.
Police bully many drivers and arrest them in Guyana for minor traffic offences that can be easily sorted out by issuing a ticket. In most cases you are being taken to the police station and a hefty bail is demanded. In the end, charges are never filed, and the bail money is split-up by the police at the station.
I say this because I have been a driver for over 40 years, and at one point in my life I was a cab driver in Manhattan, New York, and I have never seen this sort of behavior whereby a man is arrested and placed in custody for not wearing a seat belt.
Furthermore, while sitting on the bench at Den Amstel Police Station I witnessed a man being taken into custody for drunk driving. The man could hardly walk. He was asked to go downstairs, and apparently a ‘deal’ was cut. The matter would never be heard of.
Thank You.
Fazal Gafoor

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