THE GUYANA Police Force was at its finest recently.  In a society such as ours, where the tendency to attack and demean the Police, sometimes not without merit and justification, law enforcement is deserving of the highest praise. The recapturing of Mark Royden Durant, aka Royden Williams, called “Smallie” on a minibus, in a society where police hostility/brutality and primitive approaches have been accepted as norm, the flawless execution in removing him from a minibus without shots being fired, injury or loss of life, is an act that is associated with policing in more developed societies.

Durant is reportedly identified as a leading mastermind behind the July 9 Camp Street Prison riot that left in its wake more than 1,000 prisoners displaced, the death of Prison Officer Odinga Wickham, buildings within the compound razed, records destroyed, and society wondering if this incident would have led to the four-year criminal mayhem that followed the February 23, 2002 jailbreak at this penitentiary.

When acting Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine, at a press conference co-hosted with Vice President and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, outlined how well-oiled was the re-capturing plan, the refusal to seek foreign assistance, and wanting to seal the pride of the Force and Guyanese to execute such task, any patriotic citizen must have felt a deep sense of pride. What the acting Commissioner has not only said but also put into effect is the capacity and capability of Guyanese to achieve anything we set our minds to.

Not to be ignored in this incident-free capture is the role of citizens partnering with the police in crime-fighting. Were it not for the intelligence gathering, which could have only been possible and effective with the input from citizens in the community, the job of recapturing the escapees would have been harder, if not impossible.  Throughout, it has been seen that society was unprepared to shelter and cuddle those who ran afoul of the law–allegedly or convicted–and also put the lives of others and society’s well-being at risk.

At the same time it should not be forgotten that justice delayed constitutes justice denied. The state of the Justice System where persons are held on remand for undue period of time, case files misplaced, offences that are bailable denied, and conditions of incarceration less than acceptable according to international standards, cannot be ignored.  These areas often overlooked, taken for granted, or deemed deserving for the incarcerated, modern thinking not only question them, but also would deem such the result of a society that has lost its moral compass and regard for human life.

Former Chancellor of the Judiciary, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Keith Massiah Senior Counsel, in his Minority Report on the 2005 Ronald Gajraj Commission of Inquiry said, “Killings, however reasonable and expedient in the opinion of many persons of goodwill, ought not to be countenanced. Even the alleged serial killer, the persistent rapist and the paedophile, detestable as those pariahs are, enjoy the fundamental right to a fair hearing and the full protection of due process. Persons who are thought to have committed crimes must be arrested, charged and tried in a court of law. Nothing less can be accepted.” This remains the moral compass that guides modern society and it is way pass time Guyanese accept and respect same.

In this regard, it would be reasonable to look forward in the instance where the escapees, who in the efforts by the police to recapture, died that the Coroner’s Act be activated and the appropriate inquests held. Undeniably, the Police Force has distinguished itself on this issue, the attendant fall-outs, and gave society a level of assurance/confidence that it was in charge; a feeling that has not been experienced during similar occurrences in 2002. Retaining and building on this positive image cannot ignore or allow to fall by the way side other aspects of good policing and law enforcement, all of which are necessary to bring about and ensure respect for the rule of law.

Society may be inclined to question what may be responsible for the improvement in the Force’s performance.  Definitely there are multiple factors at play here, some of which are less political intrusion into its day-to-day activities, greater responsiveness to critical public analyses, building better community/police relation, and the acquisition of modern techniques through training.