Tough words for law enforcement

At the recent launch of a two-week training programme intended to assist local investigators in the fight against bribery and corruption, a high-level official had some tough words for officers of the various security agencies here. He was quoted in this newspaper as saying: “There is no place for corruption within the security agencies in Guyana. If officials or individuals cannot work with honesty and integrity, then they should be prosecuted and imprisoned as necessary.”
The training is being conducted by two UK experts, who are experienced in anti-money laundering and white-collar crime investigations. Officers from the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), the Customs Anti- Narcotics Unit (CANU), the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU), and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) are participating in the programme.
The UK’s collaborative security reform project began in 2007, but was scrapped in 2009 after the British Government had requested to have oversight of the programme to ensure that there was ‘value for money’. It could be recalled that the former Government had disagreed with the manner in which the British Government had wanted the programme to be run, claiming that Britain had sought to intrude upon Guyana’s sovereignty.
For many years now, we have been hearing about corruption at all levels of the Guyana Police Force (GPF); sometimes with the involvement of senior officers themselves. It is therefore no wonder why citizens have very little trust in the ability of the security agencies to carry out professional investigations and to ensure that justice is served.
When certain cases are brought to the fore, either by private citizens complaining or by way of media reports, nothing much comes out of these cases even after investigations are carried out. Very often, it comes down to officers simply being transferred or demoted or put to perform ‘administrative duties’.
During his presentation at a recent officers’ conference, the President himself made his views clear when he stated that the practice of transferring and demoting rogue elements will not bring an end to the scourge of corruption within the GPF. He correctly stated that a Force contaminated by corruption cannot ensure the security of citizens. Hence, the service provided must be based on values in commitment, competence and incorruptibility.
High Commissioner Quinn’s comments therefore echo local concerns and it is hoped that they will be taken seriously by those involved because of the affirmation. We had stated before that the Police and other law enforcement agencies must lead by example. If they want to win the public’s trust, they must be seen as having integrity and decency. They must engage in serious introspection and monitor themselves to ensure they too are held to higher standards. It is well accepted that the success of any organisation depends on the integrity of its officials.
Notwithstanding that, this training programme is indeed very much needed as it seeks to build the capacity of the GPF and other law enforcement agencies to investigate all forms of criminal acts and other high-level forms of corruption within the various agencies in Guyana.
There is certainly need to strengthen the capacity of the Police Force and other law enforcement agencies here especially as it relates to investigating financial crimes. To successfully fight against corruption and other forms of white collar crimes, there has to be effective detection, investigation, analysis of evidence, and prosecution of crime, ultimately leading to convictions. Any effort aimed at ensuring our security agencies are better equipped with all tools necessary to function effectively is welcomed.
That said, the ongoing security reforms must also take into consideration other issues which impact the performance of officers such as remuneration and benefits etc. If we are going to hold law enforcement officers to higher standards and expect them to remain honest and be professional at all times, they should also be fairly compensated.