…for police
The CoP made a critical announcement when he revealed that the Adriana Younge case was still open. If nothing else, while it was seized by political opportunists later, it revealed in living colour over social media that something was wrong in the state of the GPF. This isn’t just a question of bumming beleaguered civilians for fried rice no mo!! No siree Bob!! This is an institutionalised breakdown that is played out in the living culture of ordinary police ranks defined by corruption and violence.
Well, the legendary management guru, Peter Drucker, once famously declared, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”. He, of course, was talking about business culture and its impact on management strategies for achieving their companies’ goals and objectives. But the observation holds true for all institutions, innit?? Unless you change the culture of the institution you want to be successful, even if you concoct the best strategy in the world, it’s gonna fail. And so your Eyewitness turns his (troubled) eyes to our challenged Police Force – one of our oldest institutions, being formed way back in 1839.
And that in itself tells the whole story about the gap between whatever strategy we’ve been coming up with – seemingly annually!! – to make the GPF become professional in performing its mission to “serve and protect” we the people of Mudland. At the time of its launching, they were to serve and protect the Europeans and their allies – not AGAINST the newly freed slaves and those who arrived later.
Unlike their British Bobbies – who smiled cherubically at errant kids and only wielded batons against lawbreakers – our police were armed to the teeth with real GUNS. And were zealously trained to use them against those who broke the laws the whites made!! The culture inculcated into the police FORCE was therefore that citizens were basically savages who’d “riot” – not “protest” – at the least opportunity. As such, the RIOT ACT could be read whenever the whites so decided, and the ranks had to open fire at will!! That’s a whole lotta power – and you know what they say about power and corruption!!
This culture of violence and corruption has remained ingrained in the police – who’d become the most ubiquitous arm of the state to the ordinary citizen!! When we hear “government”, we see police!! Now, while there’ve been periodic reforms after egregious abuse, the militarised orientation stubbornly persists. There’s been talk for decades of renaming the police as the “Police Service” rather than “Police Force” to remind them daily of their mission. Also changing their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to operationalise the “kinder, gentler” approach. But the latest outrage doesn’t suggest success, does it?
The police SERVICE’s top brass should spend more time changing their culture than eating fried rice!!
…still for Aubrey?
Your Eyewitness has been holding his breath waiting for the Committee of Elders – headed by Elder in Chief Hamilton “Bilal” Green – to announce their findings on the accusations made by Linden PNC stalwart Vanessa Kissoon against the PNC leader – and now presidential candidate – Aubrey Norton!! Since the accusation was last June and the elders stepped in to find out the TRUTH, this means your Eyewitness (and the rest of the country??) have been holding their breaths for over a year!! Your Eyewitness is afraid that when these collective breaths are released, we may unleash a hurricane!!
But seriously, folks… The PNC Committee of Elders ain’t doing their party any favours by dragging their feet on an issue that women – who’re half of the electorate – are mightily het up about!! Old heads have been telling your Eyewitness about some similar foot-dragging that took place long ago by a now prominent elder and a female Education Minister!
History repeating??
…to global morality
Who woulda thought that the Israeli army would’ve been allowed their genocidal killing wave from October 2023 to now – with hardly a murmur from the Western leaders??
How can they preach morality to us going forward??
