A few years ago, a former Commissioner of Police told the nation at his swearing-in ceremony that they must 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 crime fighting under his tenure.
Some years after, the former President said he wanted an “unbribable” Top Cop. After that, the then officer who was appointed Top Cop threatened to charge members of the public who offer bribes to the Police, while at the same time urging ranks to desist from accepting same.
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 emanating from the public. While the former 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 members of the public being forced to offer a bribe.
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 the time-consuming, voluminous, paper-work bureaucratic process to close a transaction. Many can relate these experiences when accessing some public services, as some minibus operators who allege harassment by the Police and claim 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”, unnecessarily long wait, and favouritism. If that were to be done, and officers who are found circumventing the process for personal gains are disciplined, the possibility of removing/reducing bribery may be realised.
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 who claim to be compliant but are made to face trumped-up charges so that a bribe can be paid.
With an average traffic ticket costing in the vicinity of 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” made popular. The former suggests a seeming bluff to issue a ticket, while the latter suggests “leave something” as the alternative.
For sure, those guilty of breaking traffic laws should be made to face the relevant penalty. This, however, has to be professionally enforced 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 and lead 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 continue to flow. That underscores the need for sustained action, as against words.
