Rather sadly, it is the historical tale of getting the messenger

Jun 20, 2019 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,

I refer to the article titled, “Seniors reportedly hunting for whistleblowing ranks…Alleged corrupt cop ‘reverted’ to uniform, transferred” (KN June 18). Rather sadly, it is the historical tale of getting the messenger.
The first action should have been some public utterance that there is a problem, that it is a priority, and that GPF integrity and public safety are nonnegotiable and the highest priorities. Thus, a focus on corrective action, instead of concealing actions. Boeing did just the latter, and now there is hell for the company. Unfortunately, more than sales and earnings are involved with the police in Guyana. It is about real life, quality of life, and life itself.
The immediate follow-up actions have to be to probe and to follow the sickness wherever it leads, to get to the heart of the troubles that endanger all of society. That is what a professional, committed police force takes pride in prioritizing. Except that it is not. It is the norm across institutional Guyana now, with the Guyana Police Force standing as the ugliest wound as to what daily devastates Guyanese. The GPF itself is a victim.
But instead of being sensitive to these things, it uses resources and energies to target those who dare to cross undrawn lines and lay bare the rot and stink that is the police. Instead of going on the offensive against all offenders, there are only the defensive attitudes and defensive actions of circling wagons and protection the family jewels. And, jewels they are, since such are the rich pickings of crime in Guyana. Corrupting and covering up of crime; delaying and rearranging the facts and figures involved in crimes, be they of everyday misdemeanors, or those multiplying felonies that bring peril across this country.
I suppose the population has become so disillusioned and jaded that it no longer expects better. I once did. I suppose that some statistics would be rolled out as to “major crimes” contained, and the number of rogue cops disciplined in some way. Means nothing. Nobody cares. Not when the first step in a ballooning police scandal – one that finds easy traction in commonsense and the Guyanese experience – is to go after those who unveil the troubles in the Guyana Police Force, and the real dangers posed.
Today, it is the messengers in uniform. It is likely that, in time, the targets could be those whose uniforms are identifiable by ink, and spoken and written word. Stabroek News signaled intentions with a Page One comment on June 17; scribblers have to follow suit. For clearly, the Guyana Police Force has become a law onto itself, and answerable to no standard, and to no one.
Where there should be shame and remedial action, there is only the rush to cover over the corpse by pretending that all is well; that it is “only a few bad apples” to quote a former minister in the former government. The more things change, the more they stay the same. New day, new faces, same old dark, dirty places and dirtier practices.
As I look at all of this, it is clear that the main ingredient is money: a high tide of higher value notes.
Notes to taint a saint, make traitors of martyrs. And that is why there is flinching in the contemplation of where things are today. For tomorrow, comes that oil money. Today it already provokes distractions through political and social addictions. Gotta have it at any cost.
The CCJ has pronounced; but if anyone thinks that Guyanese are concerned about constitution or law, their head should be examined. The laundered narcotics money has poisoned to the point where there are no knees to stand for anything, no mind to think of country or reputation, and neither stamina nor soul to dredge up the ferocious ethos towards doing things right, if only for the children.
Work is apace with tourism. To come where? To walk where? To eat and drink and shop where? The sharks that scent petroleum will come here: gamblers, prostitutes (the high and low class), the protector pimps, high rollers, and high society hustlers. They will come and bring all their low ways and high crimes. Where are the sentinels that will have the quality and keenness of character, of intellect, of esprit de corps to confront? Which political power will be at the helm to demand and get results?
I keep writing that this society is lost, but yet pretends to be unknowing and uncaring. Already Guyana has lost its mind and soul. Started with the powdered stuff; soon it will be joined by the petroleum rush. But first, elections and who wins to perpetuate the same obscenities by vandals in and out of uniform.
Sincerely,
GHK Lall

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