Dear Editor,
For quite a while, mixed views have been expressed against members of the Guyana Police Force regarding their actions/performances in execution of their duties.
Coupled with that are allegations of corruption, some being associated/linked with criminals, and various members being charged for criminal offences.One of the biggest complaints is extortion by members of the GPF whilst in uniform and executing their duties. It’s a norm now to traverse anywhere throughout Guyana and be stopped by GPF members in general duty uniform as they request to see your documents for the vehicle. In most cases, no traffic rank could be seen, but those that stopped you would perform the duties of a traffic officer and find some cause on your vehicle or documents, and either demand money or put you in a situation where you have to offer them money.At the western end of the Demerara Harbour Bridge, many people opine that there is the second toll booth for the Demerara Harbour Bridge after you would have purchased your ticket to traverse the bridge from the eastern end.From all indications, most GPF members seem to prefer standing on the road blocking/stopping vehicles on the roadways, because that seems more lucrative. No wonder when one makes a report or phone call to the station one is always told that the mobile unit is on patrol.While the success rate in minimal for the roadblocks in terms of drug busts, capturing wanted criminals, or finding illegal weapons, etc., it would be more feasible if GPF ranks’ efforts are directed at other places too; but, then again, that is not lucrative for them!Editor, of recent, with the assistance of social media, we’ve been seeing and hearing of lots of crimes being committed but are not in the media, and, with the full knowledge of John Public, those responsible are trying to paint a picture that crime is down. Based on the manner and the way this is being committed, it should be of grave concern to everyone.Quite alarmingly, school children are being robbed blatantly, and are being physically abused. I should mention that most of these victims are East Indians. On Tuesday, around 4pm, as I was boarding a route 32 minibus, there was a commotion; and looking to see what it was all about, I saw around six young African males, none seemed to be above 20 years old, and one in a cream-coloured long pants and white shirt with a haversack (could be a schoolboy) who didn’t seem to be more than 16 years old, surround an East Indian male, cuffing and kicking him beside the City Constabulary.They ran away after a few seconds of abusing the young man, and then we heard that the young man was just robbed. Everyone was shocked, especially at the young man, whom everyone presumed to be a schoolboy. Everyone made the suggestion that if the perpetrator had been caught, he would have been given a sound licking.A while back, I penned a few letters expressing my concern with the rapid increase of limers going at school premises, and how their attitudes were motivating students to drop out of school and be involved in drugs and crime. No one takes heed, and sadly, today’s trend is uncontrollable and is still increasing. Now I am seeing what seems to be a schoolboy committing a crime.Sadly, in such a crowded area, the perpetrators were all still able to escape.
This is an area that the City Constabulary and the GPF were supposed to be protecting, but it seems they are only protecting commuters from touts.This is the system we have in Guyana — a country being governed by an illegal Government. The head is a former ruler of the Guyana Defence Force, and most of his close associates/advisors are former heads of the GDF or the GPF. In other words, with all those ex-military personnel, four years after, instead of the crime rate being reduced, it is increasing. But, then again, if you are breaking the law, you cannot expect the citizens not to do the same.Consistency seems to be lacking from the GPF and the City Constabulary, because the various car parks around Stabroek Market have been plagued with criminals committing crimes against commuters traversing the area; and except for a brief stint — when Police presence was visible for a few days in uniform and in plain clothes, and crime was reduced a little – the situation is sadly back to normal. This is the vision of a now illegal Government that has legally inherited a country with problems, and cannot find a solution to deal with those problems.Traffic jam is an everyday problem around the Stabroek minibus parks, and even though security cameras have been installed there, the problems still exist. So it makes no sense recommending that cameras be installed to monitor where people usually get robbed and where there is a gathering of children, because that might eventually turn into a white elephant too, because it seems as if Government’s vision for Guyana is limited.Finally, Editor, a few weeks ago, a young lady was robbed of over half a million dollars and her cell phone among other items, including her handbag, whilst going home in the evening. Immediately, she went to the station and made a report, and informed the Police that she knows who had committed the crime against her. She told me she was surprised when the Police asked her if the colour of the bag was the exact colour she had told them. The Police picked up the individual after her insistence, and she was given the royal push around although she kept insisting that the person they were holding was the right person.Surprisingly, he was released and she was told the Police have to get more witnesses before he could be charged.
Now, there were a few persons around when she was robbed, and they had seen when the thief was escaping, and she told the Police about those persons, but the Police never attempted to find/talk to those individuals, according to her. These questions are being asked: Is a proper investigation being conducted? Is there a cover-up? Are the Police being part of this crime by taking a drawback?Based on what this young woman told me, she would not be getting back anything, even though she knows the criminal, because she strongly believes that the Police are siding with the thief.How long are we going to continue hearing stories like these? From all indications, even though Police are being dismissed and charged, they are still indulging in illegalities. When there’s a public outcry, you will hear of some campaign that evolves to nothing a few days after.A simple example is: you cannot have any sort of tint on your vehicle without members of the GPF harassing you, but even though there’s a warning, almost every vehicle owned by a Police is heavily tinted, and these could be found parked in all the station compounds or outside of the stations in plain view. I’ve never heard of Police being charged for a tinted vehicle, but the ordinary man is being charged, forced to remove the tint, or daily being harassed to pay a bribe.Such is the vision for Guyana despite all the promises. Would you believe the new promises being made presently will become a reality when the simple ones cannot be fulfilled?
Sincerely,
Sahadeo Bates
