Stop pestering public, asking for bribes − Top Cop warns

… urges ranks to have better relations with media 

By Vahnu Manickchand

Ranks of the Guyana Police Force Traffic Department and Anti-crime Patrols got a rude awakening on Saturday from Acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine as he addressed the no-nonsensical approach the force has adopted in treating with corrupt practices.
Speaking to a gathering of mainly junior officers at the Officer’s Mess Annex, Eve Leary, Ramnarine pointed out that a true Police officer is one who enjoys his work, interacts with the public, and understands his law enforcement role as well as social service.
He reminded that the role of a Police officer is to serve but not serve at a price; hence, he finds it ridiculous and embarrassing that corruption is widespread among junior ranks.

“You are one of the important elements of our daily interface with the public – anti-crime patrol ranks and traffic ranks. It’s becoming a problem; you are demanding from people, you are shamelessly asking them to leave something… You have no pride and dignity in the way you do things, you have no shame! You believe this uniform is given to you to enrich yourselves,” he exclaimed.
According to Ramnarine, there have been numerous reports of ranks acting in total disregard of Police policies. Some of these reports, he noted, are made to the President and Government Ministers by persons in the diaspora who have fallen victim to Police corruption.
Stop doing it
The acting Police Commissioner posited that such behaviour will no longer be condoned. It is against this backdrop that the Force’s hierarchy decided to host the session on Saturday to address the junior ranks. Ramnarine warned the ranks gathered that the Force will not accept anything less from ranks hereafter.
“You need to understand that our actions, from a public security perspective, are all part and parcel of the actions that are akin to a country’s image being pretty acceptable from a regional and international perspective. People don’t want to come to this country for vacation and be molested… Stop doing it! Look deep inside yourself,” he stated.
The acting Top Cop went on to rubbish justification of such corrupt practices, particularly as it relates to claims of insufficient salaries. He explained that the issue of salary has been an age-old one and will continue to be so.
“When you joined (the Force) you knew what the salary of a police officer is. So we are not going to accept that you come now by illegitimate ways, illegal ways or unprofessional actions and believe that you are now in a position to get rich quick,” he remarked.
Ramnarine continued: “So I called you here to spell it out to you… (behaviour on the road) has reached a level where it’s becoming a deep concern and an embarrassment… I’m telling you to desist from it, have pride and dignity in what you do.”
During his hour-long presentation, the acting Top Cop also highlighted over a dozen recent cases where ranks where caught in corrupt acts or breaching policies, and have since been dismissed.
He mentioned a case where ranks recovered stolen properties and decided to keep them for themselves, another case where an intoxicated officer responded to a domestic violence report and shot the suspect, yet another where an off-duty rank was speeding on the road in his private vehicle when he collided with a Police vehicle, badly damaging it.
Instances of Immigration officers fighting at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport in front of passengers, an individual in the Police training school injuring a colleague with a cutlass and even a female supervisor who had to be transferred because of “ugly” reports against her, were also highlighted by Ramnarine.

Wasting taxpayers’ money
He further explained that the Police Force is not going to waste taxpayers’ money to pay officers half-salaries when they are interdicted for misdemeanours; instead they will be sent packing.
On the other hand, the acting Top Cop went on to outline that crime prevention is not the sole province of a Police Force, as such it is imperative that they establish healthy, working relationships with those they serve in various aspects and facets of social life:
“We have to understand that the police are the public and the public are the police, and so there is need for the establishment and maintenance of a healthy, working, respectful relationship.”

Moreover, Ramnarine sought to underscore the importance of the Police Force have good relations with the media. According to the acting Police Commissioner, often times the Police despises the media when in fact they should understand the vital role the media plays in society, just as the Police do.
“When you are angry about a camera in your face, just tell yourself that if you don’t do anything wrong and you are professional, and you want to be accountable, then you have nothing to worry about, nothing to be fearful of,” he assured.
Ramnarine added too that the media help to get the Police Force intact and accountable as well as improve services to the country by highlighting whenever something goes wrong.
“Check around the world, many things are not exposed but with the role of the media, it comes to light, so you need to understand that. Don’t go taking away people’s cameras and curse them, and tell them don’t push the camera in my face. You can’t do that… that’s not an offence unless in certain settings but once you’re in the public, you doing your work,” the acting Top Cop stated, adding that ranks should appreciate that when they are doing a good job that the media is highlighting it.