Behaviour is the major phenomenon the Guyana Police Force must deal with

Nov 19, 2021 Letters

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Dear Editor,

Kaieteur News – Recently the Guyana Police Force held what it called its “Inaugural Integrity in Policing Symposium,” at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre. Among the presenters were the Prime Minister, the Minister of Home Affairs and the Top Cop. The objective/s of the activity was not communicated publicly. There was no public statement of the symposium after the event. However, I believe that the symposium was hurriedly put together to address the behaviour of ranks in the Force which has perpetually come into serious criticism in the print, electronic media and elsewhere. Top Cop, Nigel Hoppie at the last Police Awards Ceremony bemoaned the fact that 29 policemen were before the Courts with criminal charges including murder, attempted murder, rape, corruption and other serious crimes. Since then, the number has increased. In addition, there are numerous complaints of unacceptable behaviour by the police at all levels, which were reported to the Police Complaints Authority, which is still to be reconstituted. In addition, the Office of Professional Responsibility is still to be put in place and the Police Service Commission. Recent letters to the editor by Paul Slowe and Clement J. Rohee are very instructive.
Editor, please permit me to repeat some issues I posited before and introduce some new concepts about behaviour in the GPF and what could be done to correct the existing sad state of affairs.
Behaviour is the major phenomenon, which the Guyana Police Force must deal with as it set out to achieve the objectives of the Force under Section 3 (2) of the Police Act Chapter 16:01 and the unwritten society’s expectations of the police. Members of the Force must not only deal with the behaviour of the general public, their families, their friends, peers, subordinates and superiors but their own behaviour. They can no longer regard the study of behaviour as the sole concern of the psychologist and psychiatrist. They must learn about behaviour and the behavioural science in order to effectively and safely carry out the job.
What is required is a holistic approach towards behaviour at all levels in the GPF. If behaviour is not adequately address at all levels, the police will continue to display defiant behaviour, thereby tarnishing the image of the Force and eroding the fading public confidence of the organisation. Piecemeal efforts will only produce piecemeal results. According to a recent article in the press, the police employed a therapist/counsellor who recently acquired a Master’s Degree in Psychology to cater for thousands of policemen at all levels in the force. I understand the therapist/counsellor mounted a four-day Train the Trainers Course for a few ranks in the regional police divisions with the intention that the trainees will become trainers to address unacceptable and psychological behaviour. Wow! Those initiatives are small steps in the right direction, but their scope of operations is woefully limited. Much more must be done to address the current unacceptable behaviour perpetrated with alarming frequency by numerous ranks at all levels.
I am again compelled to make another clarion call for the establishment of a Behavioural Science Unit, in the Guyana Police Force, staffed by fit and proper persons – not a one-woman show. The Unit will go a long way towards influencing acceptable behaviour by members of the Force at all levels. This will fit nicely into UNESCO’s imperatives for learning. Here they are, Learn to live together; Learn to be; Learn to do; Learn to learn. Some important areas to be covered are effective communication, cultural sensitivity, conflict resolution – do you resolve conflict by resorting to the boots, baton, bayonet or through the barrel of a gun? Self-esteem, emotional intelligence, policing multi-cultural and diverse communities, effectively dealing with people, effective investigations, cultural awareness, anger management, critical thinking, people skills, capacity to act and the ability to apply knowledge.
Over two decades ago, I attended the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, in the United States of America. My interactions with their Behavioural Science Unit then and later enabled me to effectively deal with members of the public in the execution of my duties as a law enforcement officer and in my relationships with my family, friends and colleagues. I am confident that the creation of a similar unit within the Force will influence excellent behaviour by members of the Force and will go a far way towards promoting public trust and confidence in the police.

Yours respectfully,
Clinton Conway
Assistant Commissioner of Police
(Retired)

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