THE police must be congratulated for the reduction in crime by ten percent over the past year. Even though there have been substantial improvements over the years in pay, conditions and equipment, crime had been showing a general upward trend, quite apart from the substantial crime wave starting in 2002 with the infamous prison break. This is in keeping with the trend in the Region. I have been an ardent supporter of the police over the years even though from time to time I have made critical remarks. Nevertheless the police try their best within their available resources. They have accorded me the signal honour of twice inviting me to be the guest speaker at their annual after conference dinner. Once was honour enough. Twice was awesome.
I have little personal difficulty with the police. Not so for many people. There is a group of young people who are targeted by two sets of policemen. The group comprises young men in their twenties and thirties who drive motor vehicles especially if they are new cars, SUVs or pick-up trucks. It may include others, such as this group riding motor cycles and many working class youth around Georgetown. My focus today is on the first group.
Traffic policemen on motor cycles or otherwise and TSU ranks in open back vehicles with guns target this group of young men. I know because my two sons and their many friends are in this group. They own pick-up trucks only because of the lower cost. They try not to drive them at weekends because that is when these two groups of policemen, especially the latter, are on the prowl.
Whentworth Tanner is the Director of Social Services attached to the Ministry of Social Services. He was previously the Chief Licensing Officer. Prior to that he was attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then the Guyana Revenue Authority. He is a senior and talented public servant of great promise in his thirties. He is over six feet tall and drives a reasonably new motor car. He is a friend of my younger son.
On Saturday May 5 at midday a squad of TSU ranks on the prowl in a grey Hilux pick-up, PMM 6231, led by Cadet Officer Grant, stopped him in a very busy part of North Road. They came out of their vehicle; all armed with frighteningly large guns, surrounded him and demanded to search him and his vehicle. He inquired the reason. Cadet Officer Grant said aggressively that they suspected that he had guns and drugs. He demanded to know the basis of the suspicion but got no answer. They insisted. Mr. Tanner refused. They then demanded that he accompany them to Brickdam Police Station and one policeman entered his vehicle without invitation. By this time a large crowd had gathered.
During the confrontation Mr. Tanner told them that he was a public servant attached to the Ministry of Social Services. He was not asking any favours. Having refused to give him a reason for the search, he was hoping that the police, if they knew his employment, would spare him the embarrassment of a public search with a large crowd now in attendance. One of the policemen, Cpl Maxwell, loudly and rudely, told him that he did not care who he was. By this time my younger son who had been summoned by Mr. Tanner arrived on the scene. My son is a lawyer of ten years standing.
While talking to Mr. Tanner at the side of his car Cpl Maxwell shouted to my son that he had to remove as he was obstructing the police from doing their work. My son identified myself. Cadet Officer Grant then said that he was in charge and that my son must talk to him. My son then said that it was improper for the police to stop and search citizens on the road for no reason. Cadet officer Grant said, again aggressively, that the police can search whoever they want.
At the Brickdam Police Station in the Traffic Office Cpl Maxwell demanded that my son must leave. Before doing so, he appealed to Cpl Harry, a traffic policeman who was present. He supported Cpl Maxwell. A policeman by the name of Mustaq, at least that was the name he gave, for no reason and without my son saying anything, shouted irrelevantly across the room to him: “You are a liar.” My son had to leave the Traffic Office. A traffic policeman who knew him passed by and asked him what was going on. He explained. The traffic policeman then entered the Traffic Office, identified my son to Cpl. Maxwell and said he knew him. Cpl. Maxwell loudly exclaimed that he did not care. And so it went.
Mr. Tanner, who was victimized because of his age, his car and likely for another obvious reason, was charged for the usual traffic offences but upon later producing his documents the charges were dropped.
This happens every day. I receive numerous complaints. There is a serious problem of abuse of law abiding citizens that create hostility to the police and substantially reduces the possibility of co-operation from citizens, which is a critical element in solving crime. There is no point reporting these matters to the police. Nothing ever happens. I have direct experience of this. The minister is always helpful and takes action. But disciplining one policeman at a time cannot solve a deep seated problem such as the one that exists in relation to the TSU and the Traffic Police when they are on patrol.
Officers like Grant, Maxwell, Harry and Mustaq (who called himself a ‘war tank’) are a disgrace to the Police Force and to the hardworking policemen who try their best to protect us. The police will no doubt deny everything I wrote, as they usually do. But everyone on the road knows what happens. These rude, power hungry policemen should be ashamed of picking on peaceful, hardworking citizens and then acting like bullies. If they want help from citizens to solve crime they must earn our respect, not seek to intimidate. If this continues it is the Police Force and the law abiding citizens who will continue to suffer.