A few years ago, a former Commissioner of Police invited the nation at his swearing in ceremony to hold him accountable. That was in the context of him being held responsible, as the Top Cop, presumably for the actions of the Force and for crime fighting under his tenure.
Some years after, the current President said he wanted an “unbribable” Top Cop. After that, the officer appointed threatened to charge members of the public who offer bribes to the Police, while at the same time urged ranks to desist from accepting bribes.
There is a tremendous sense of moral value in the statements made by the three individuals; statements that are well-intended and good for public confidence. However, people want to see a sustainable manifestation into reality. This is not suggesting any impropriety on the part of the individuals to which the various statements can be attributed, but the reality on the ground is starkly different.
The threat to charge people for offering bribes, ironically, may have stemmed from numerous complaints received from the public. While the Commissioner is spot on that bribery is a two-way street and arguments can probably be made that some members of the public may engage for ease of convenience, there are many instances of them being forced to do so.
The term “royal run-around” is commonly used to sum up the sentiments of customers who believe they are deliberately being frustrated when seeking a particular service and/or engaging the time-consuming voluminous-paper-work bureaucratic process to close a transaction. Many can relate, when accessing some public services, as some minibus operators allege, harassment by the Police and claims that relief is only through bribes.
While it is legally not right, these situations create the environment for bribery, since tremendous value is attached to time and the easing of the pains of frustration. This, of course, is not confined to Guyana, but is common in many, if not all, societies, with varying degrees of prevalence.
The argument has always been for the systems to be fixed to maximise efficiency and confidence through the removal of “red-tape”, unnecessary long wait, and favouritism. If that were to be done, and officers who are found circumventing the process for personal gains are disciplined, then the possibility of removing/ reducing bribery may raise its head.
There is the strong belief that situations are deliberately exploited by some public officers to force the offering of a bribe. While there is national concern over the dangers and flagrant breaking of traffic laws by some road users, there are complaints by some minibus operators that they had been compliant but had been made to face trumped-up charges so that a bribe could be paid.
With an average traffic ticket costing in the vicinity of about seven thousand dollars, and with lengthy delays when stopped, including being asked to visit the Police station, the imposed understanding is for the “offering” of half that amount in order to proceed and to avoid frustration.
Over the years, terms like “a towel” or a “granger” are used to indicate the amounts in question. This has become fodder for satire, with other terms like “write” or “left” being made popular. The former suggests a seeming bluff to issue a ticket, while the latter suggests “leave something” as the alternative.
Reportedly, there have also been instances when some ranks blatantly demanded an amount from drivers in effort to satisfy their alleged thirst or hunger. This practice is seemingly more prevalent during random stops and when some traffic cops “hide” and then suddenly present themselves at points along the various roadways.
Aspects of this situation have prompted a response from the subject Minister, who suggested that such traffic operations be conducted in the vicinity of the stations, and that ranks must not hide and “ambush” drivers.
The current Commissioner of Police also made it clear that if ranks are uncomfortable with their salaries, they should leave the job. That’s a fair comment, especially when there have been numerous complaints of harassment for bribery levelled against some members of the Force. It would have been very useful if the Commissioner had stated that cops who are found guilty of demanding bribes would be charged. While it might have been implied, the clarity of language might have been more impacting.
For sure, those guilty of breaking traffic laws must be made to face the relevant penalty. This, however, has to be professionally enforced in order to build public confidence. What would also be useful is to have sustained education on procedures of stop-and-search, traffic operations, issuing of traffic tickets, and other areas considered to be of contention to the general public.
Likewise, the same for public agencies that provide vital services. The few that have taken some steps towards that must be commended.
While education in the context alluded is not a panacea, it helps to reduce ambiguities, leading to better understanding of processes. However, even with such good intentions, the current reality would cause optimism for holistic success to be low. This is premised on the seemingly engrained proclivity of some public officers for the status quo to remain, so that benefits can continue to flow. That underscores the need for sustain action, as against words.
