They take bribes. They have been accused, rightly or wrongly, of loaning their guns to bandits and of setting free dangerous prisoners, who were captured with great effort and at great risk to their fellow officers. 

They have even been accused of perpetrating criminal pursuits themselves, and it is only just that, when caught, they should be dealt with in more punitive ways than those meted to civilians, because they are supposed to be guardians of the laws of the land and protector of the society, so their felonious actions are tantamount to crimes against the State, and therefore treasonous.

They disgrace their uniform, and the organisation to which they belong. They bring disrepute to the entire force with their criminal actions and should be dealt with condignly by their own counterparts in the service, as in a case where one policeman nabbed three bribe-takers.

The minibus conductors know all the traffic policemen who take bribes, and their stories of persecution by those delegated to protect travellers from lawless road-users who commit traffic violations that endanger lives are many. Amnesty should be offered to those who were coerced into paying bribes by the disreputable brigade of lawmen.

One minibus conductor complained of being threatened with being arrested for driving without a driver’s licence when he was merely sitting in the driver’s seat of a properly-parked vehicle fixing a loose wire in the dashboard. He alleged that he had to pay the police $15,000 before he was released from custody and his impounded bus was returned to him.

The law banning music from minibuses is constantly being flouted, within hearing of police ranks, who ignore the cacophony because they themselves feel that music in minibuses is enjoyable and should be tolerated by those who object, so they abdicate their responsibility of being guardians and enforcers of the law, despite their personal preferences.

The travelling public is still being held to ransom by the lawless minibus operators, and the noise levels keep rising higher and higher, even while the police either blithely ignore the booming sounds, or they themselves have been observed gyrating, even while in uniform, to the lewd, cacophonous sounds emanating from the boom boxes in the minibuses and taxis; and/or private cars operating with impunity as taxis, disturbing residents as well as passengers, but caring not a whit because they know that they would not be held accountable for their actions.

The rogues have to be weeded out by loyal and honest members of the force themselves in sting operations, bearing in mind that the disgrace is not merely to the renegades, but that it filters down to every officer; even those proven to be heroes, who have given service to their country beyond the call of duty.
There have been heroic members of the disciplined forces, who have put their lives in jeopardy to protect and serve this nation, and their reputations should not be tarnished because of a greedy, lawless few, so these men and women should be adjured not to hesitate to act against those who compromise the security of the nation, and the reputation of the joint services, by their traitorous and criminal actions.
Before embarking on any campaign against traffic violators and criminal elements in the society, Police Commissioner (ag.) Seelall Persaud should first direct his attention to the rogues who derail the sincere efforts at protecting the society. Anyone proven culpable of abrogating the responsibilities of a member of the Police Force, to instead become a predator in the society, should not be spared.

And the responsibility for this can only be effectively carried out by those most suited for investigative and punitive processes – the members of the Guyana Police Force.

Unless and until a serious attempt is made to eliminate the rogues from the Force the image of every police rank will carry the mark of ‘Cain’, both the guilty and the innocent.