A monumental breakdown in security

May 30, 2022 Letters

Dear Editor,
Please permit me space in your newspaper to comment on what I considered a monumental breakdown in security during the ‘Baderation Concert’ by Jamaican dancehall artiste SKENG at the National Park on Friday, May 27, 2022.
During the year 2004, I was posted as the Police Commander of “A” Division, which includes the capital city Georgetown.

At that time, I was aware that a disturbing feature at shows involving Jamaican dancehall artistes was the unlawful and indiscriminate firing of guns and the use of chemical agent (mace) during shows. Those actions caused widespread panic at the venue and was capitalised on by criminal elements to rob unsuspecting and vulnerably patrons. There was evidence that suggested that the mayhem was deliberately orchestrated for the purpose of creating panic and robbing patrons.
I was given the task of creating a security protocol for those shows. The protocol was created and implemented. Incidents of unlawful gunfire and the use of mace at shows became a thing of the past.

A few days ago, I saw a video on social media of SKENG and others arriving in Guyana. I was unaware of who the artiste was (I am sure that is a generation thing), so I made some inquiries. The first thing I was told was that there was likely to be gunfire during the performance of a particular song. I was further informed that there was likely to be mayhem during the show. How prescient those insights were! Wasn’t the authorities aware of this? If not, why not?
It is very troubling that at a time when the government is seeking to promote tourism and has been hyping the upcoming Caribbean Premier League cricket tournament, the semifinals and final of which are scheduled for the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, security is so lax at an event that a patron can enter the venue with an illegal firearm (according to the police), and beverage is served to patrons in glass bottles, among other clear security breaches. That can only be described as a case of regression.

Copies of the protocol I referred to above should still be around (I have no claim to copyright). The institutional memory should still be there. I call on the persons responsible for security to dust off the protocol and have it implemented post haste. One of the main elements of the protocol was that the police commander of the division in which the show was to be held had primacy over all the security related activities, including the granting of permission for the event, which was a critical first step.

However, the current reality is that politicians are involved and determine every major decision in the Guyana Police Force. I am therefore of the view that despite a hurriedly called meeting by the police high command to address the issue, nothing significant will be done without directions from the politicians whose interest may not be fully aligned with the interest of persons responsible for the security of such events.

By the way, was there any similar meeting between the police and the promoter(s) prior to the show to establish clear security guidelines?

Regards
Paul Slowe CCH, DSM, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Ret’d)

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