Police are powerless to challenge ‘Sindicato’ (Part 1)

Dear Editor,
Last Wednesday, March 24, I was part of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee for the Security Sector that inspected Police stations at Muruca; Matthews Ridge; Port Kaituma and Mabaruma in Region One (Barima-Waini).
To his credit, our Committee Chairman, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, instructed his Police ranks to be truthful and straightforward in answering our questions, and I am satisfied that this was done.
Because of this candid interaction with the ranks, I was able to ascertain the state of readiness of our Police Force in those communities, and the conditions under which they live and work.
Editor, we demand professionalism of our men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe. They in turn, need to be assured of our support and commitment in providing them with the tools to keep them safe, and to get the job done. Sadly, much is needed to provide the basic level of comfort to those Police Officers; most of whom have been transferred from locations far away from home.
Police in Region One are challenged to cope with routine criminal activities they are confronted with on a daily basis. Every Police station is short-staffed and is in dire need of transportation; adequate manpower, more and better weapons.
There is no defined policy guideline to deal with Venezuelans crossing the border, working here illegally and setting up prostitution rings.
Living quarters for Police Officers are mostly cramped and inadequate. In Port Kaituma, Police Sergeant Connell is forced to live in a dilapidated building that should have been demolished a long time ago. So, when I read in the press that Minister Ramjattan will be sending in more law enforcement officers to deal with the threat emerging from the Venezuelan gang known as the “Sindicato”, I wonder where he proposes to house these additional ranks, and how will they be able to confront the “Sindicato” without transportation and effective communication.
Unless Police Officers in Region One are given the tools to get the job done, even with additional ranks, they will be powerless to challenge any threat emerging from that notorious Venezuelan gang.
A reliable communication system is extremely vital to any Police station, more so those located in rural isolated areas. Yet the Police radio at Muruca has not been working since October of last year. Without a replacement and telephone land-lines, the only form of communication available to these Police Officers are their personal cellphones. This is totally unacceptable.
The lack of adequate transportation is a common problem facing all Police stations in Region One. Muruca has been without a 4×4 vehicle since 2012, and one of the two ATVs is non-operational due to smooth tyres.
A common request I’ve heard throughout this inspection tour of Region One, is the need for female Police Officers to deal with cases of rape, domestic violence, child abuse etc.
While the Public Security Minister admitted that he is aware of some of the “harsh” conditions that exist in some locations, it appears that the chain of command is failing to address the basic needs of Police Officers in this Region.

Sincerely,
Harry Gill
PPP/C Member of
Parliament