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Police need to use non-lethal force instead of taking lives
DEAR EDITOR,
It was reported recently that police in Berbice shot and killed an intoxicated security guard who did not comply with their orders and approached them wielding a cutlass. One police officer, it was reported, fired five rounds in his direction of which three hit him causing his death. Three police officers are on close arrest, as a result.
Editor, these three officers are going to get a pat on the risk and, I predict that none of them will be criminally charged, even with manslaughter as they will claim self-defense.
It has now become the norm for police officers to video residents who fail to comply with them. It should become mandatory for one of the officers in the group to video the actions of others when excessive force and lethal weapons are used, rather than having a mob mentality and covering up to save themselves.
Editor, the concern of mine is if this tragedy could not have been avoided. Are our police officers trained to deal with intoxicated and differently able people? If so, are they practising what they were taught? In many instances, it is more cases of over-zealous, trigger-happy officers showing who is in control.
Editor, there are non-lethal approaches that law enforcement officers can apply before they shoot and kill someone; excessive force should be the last resort rather than the initial one.
Officers can use: 1. Pepper spray, 2. Rubber bullets, 3. Collapsible Baton, 4. Taser, 5. Grenade Sting, 6. Grenade Flash and 7. Tactical communication.
Officers should be also trained in arm-to-arm combat. Each non-lethal method has to be applied according to the circumstance. For instance, tactical communication may not be effective with a drunken person who cannot reason with others. However, rubber bullets of pepper spray can be effective.
While some will argue that Guyana is a poor country and cannot afford these resources, such an argument supports us being backward and behind time. It also devalues human lives, especially that of the poor. We can afford new, ATVs, pickup trucks and cars for the police but cannot place a concomitant priority for state of the art non-lethal resources. If in fact these vehicles are donated, then we can lobby the donors for non-lethal equipment.
Alternatively, are we satisfied with the state of affairs, propagandizing that crime is on the decrease?
I plead with the persons in authority to visit this issue and do what is right.
Karan Chand
Region 2 resident
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