A series of terrible criminal events ever since the infamous 2002 jailbreak including the missing AK-47s from the army and evidence of use of these weapons in crimes; the killing of a delegate at the PPP’s congress in Berbice, the slaying of Minister Sawh and his siblings; the Lusignan and Bartica massacres along with a host of others all point to a definite pattern which probably goes beyond criminal intent.

In more recent times we have had the Ministry of Health fire and the involvement of Coast Guard and police ranks in horrendous criminal activities.

In the case of the fire at Ministry of Health, two of the suspected arsonists escaped from police custody. This incident along with the killing/robbery of the Bartica resident and several others clearly demonstrate that our security forces are infiltrated with criminals or criminal minded ranks who are working in collaboration with the criminals in the larger society. This is a very dangerous situation and perhaps is a major hindrance in the fight against the criminal enterprise as the good work of our genuine, sincere and dedicated lawmen are undermined by these rogue elements within the security forces. The old local adage goes: “Yuh can’t put cat fuh watchman milk” aptly sums up the present situation.

In fact, there is a perception in our society that many persons join the security forces to gain weapons and other forms of training which they intend to utilise in criminal and corrupt pursuits. It cannot be proven that whether this is so or not, but at least on circumstantial grounds it seems that there is some truth in this perception.

What is a certainty is that there are rogue elements within the security forces and this has to be swiftly dealt with before the already dangerous situation escalates. If these outrageous and horrifying criminal activities are politically directed, as evidence has shown in the case of the fire at the Ministry of Health then the urgency to deal with this problem becomes even greater.

The ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) which condemned the recent slaying of the Bartica resident said the incident should inform the authorities to re-examine the training of ranks in the disciplined forces with an emphasis on moral education and honour in serving the nation.

The party further stated that our citizens must be constantly informed about the powers and procedures that the various sections of the disciplined forces have adopted in their communities.

This is a sound and correct position by the ruling party, however, in addition, most importantly is that the screening process for recruitment has to be a more rigorous and thorough one so as to prevent those criminal minded elements from ganing entry into the security forces.

So the cleansing process has to operate on two fronts-recruiting and getting rid of those rogue elements that have found themselves within the security forces.

Understandably, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said he felt let down by the recent abhorrent incidents.

“Since that incident on the Essequibo River, I have been asked several times how I feel about the matter…I feel let down, a sense of disappointment. After all, when you take into account all the hard work currently being done to transform the Guyana Police Force so that the force can be more effective in fighting crime and to improve more and more their relations with people…these sporadic but high profile criminal activities…blemish the good name and standing of the Police Force in the eyes of the public,” Rohee declared.

Nevertheless the minister has giventhe assurance that efforts to reform and transform the police force will continue: “…we cannot give up. The efforts at police reform and transformation will continue. We have to work harder to cleanse the force of rogue or potentially rogue elements. We have to work harder to ensure that from the point of recruitment, intensive character assessment is done and to imbue new recruits to the force with high values and standards.”