Latest update March 26th, 2026 7:55 AM
Traffic Chief orders crackdown on rogue ranks
…says public trust at “breaking point”
(Kaieteur News) – Traffic Chief, Assistant Commissioner, Mahendra Singh has issued a sweeping directive calling for an immediate cleanup of the Traffic Department, citing widespread misconduct, lawlessness, and unprofessional behaviour by traffic ranks across the country.
Traffic Chief, Mahendra Singh
The directive was issued by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Errol Watts, but was communicated through Singh to regional traffic officers, inspectors, and subordinate ranks. The directive follows what Singh described as a “drift of public trust” caused by rogue ranks abusing their authority and openly violating traffic laws.
In the memo seen by this newspaper, the Chief Traffic Officer warned that traffic ranks have become increasingly complicit in lawlessness, displaying selective enforcement, undue familiarity with motorists, and unacceptable levels of bias and unprofessional conduct. The document notes that some ranks are undermining the department’s credibility by driving tinted vehicles next to motorists they are charging for the same offence, consuming alcohol in public places, and posting inappropriate content online while in uniform.
“We cannot bully people in a modern and informed society,” the Chief Traffic Officer wrote, urging ranks to lead by example instead of eroding confidence. He stressed that too many police commanders and officers are operating vehicles with illegal tints, even while aggressively enforcing tint laws on the public.
The officer outlined several major problems within the department, including poor deployment strategies, lack of visibility, and an unwillingness by some ranks to perform their duties. To address these problems, he issued a series of immediate instructions: supervisors must visit ranks at their points rather than simply dispatching them; weekly reviews, strict traffic enforcement, instruction classes must resume; ranks’ personal vehicles are to be audited for compliance with traffic laws and officers must maintain proper records of cases until final disposition and all ranks must lift their standards and align their performance with the Guyana Police Force’s strategic plan.
The Traffic Chief stressed that the department must “set the right examples,” noting that selective enforcement and corruption are damaging the public’s trust. He urged all officers—especially those with tinted vehicles, to comply with the very laws they enforce. “We cannot cherry-pick our enforcement. Let us strive to set the right example, and only then will we see better compliance from the public,” the memo stated. The directive follows increased public criticism of traffic ranks, particularly regarding selective enforcement of tint laws, harassment, and abuses captured on social media.
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