THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) has described as “umbrageous” statements contained in a Kaieteur News article of Monday, May 13, captioned ‘Is the Guyana Police Force doing enough for its ranks?’

It was in reference to the Force’s response to situations where ranks are killed in the line of duty and the publication said “the lives of policemen are being treated with scant regard” and “their deaths are glossed over with an annual service.”
The GPF, setting the record straight on Wednesday night, said it noted that the published opening paragraph said “there was that period between 2002-2004, when almost every week a cop was murdered in Guyana.”
The GPF said the statistics show that, during that three-year period, 25 Police ranks lost their lives in the line of duty, a far cry from being a weekly occurrence.
The statement said the GPF is very concerned when a rank loses a life under such tragic circumstances and all efforts are made by investigators, with the involvement of senior officers, to ensure that justice is served and to bring some sort of closure to grieving relatives and friends.
In addition, it said, while diligent investigations have not resulted in prosecution in every instance, persons have been charged in more than just the two occurrences alluded to in the newspaper article, which can only be construed as intended to belittle the Police Administration.

Listed instances
The police listed instances where persons have been charged following intense investigations into the deaths of ranks from 2002 to present. The listing indicated that:

* Kenrick Heywood was charged with the murder of Constable 19314 Jairam Shivram which occurred in 2003.
* Macello Caldero was charged with the murder of Constable 18102 Lloyd Cameron which occurred at Sophia in 2003.
* Solomon Blackman was charged with the murder of Assistant Superintendent Richard Griffith and Lance Corporal 14177 Ramnarine Latchana which occurred at Brickdam in 2004.
* Devon Paul and Keneski Glasgow were charged with murder committed on Constable Sumdat Ramoutar which occurred in 2005.
* Dorset Mc Calmon was charged with the murder of Constable 17890 Micah Cort which occurred in 2007.
* Roger Simon, Clebert Reece, Dennis Williams, Mark Williams and Michael Caesar have been charged with the murder of Lance Corporal 18632 Zaheer Zakier, Constable 16906 Shane Fredericks and Constable 19886 Ron Osborne which occurred at Bartica in       2008.
*  Rondell Gibson and Cliff Chichester have been charged with the murder of Constable 18682 Oslyn         Glasgow which occurred at Wellington Park, Corentyne, in 2008 and.
* Desiree Jeffers has been charged with the murder of Constable Bobb-Blackman which occurred in 2011.
* Salim Bacchus was charged with the murder of Constable 20682 Jirbahan Dianand which occurred at Moleson Creek, Corentyne, in 2012.

Prime suspect
Meanwhile, investigations are continuing into the murder of Corporal 20196 Romain Cleto who was shot and killed in Regent Street, Georgetown, on April 27, 2013. The prime suspect has been identified but is not yet arrested, the GPF said.
The statement mentioned that, on the welfare side, procedures have been established to ensure that assistance and support are offered to the immediate relatives of ranks killed in the line of duty and that they are not forgotten.
The sum of $1M is, initially, paid to them by the Government, through the Ministry of Home Affairs and this is not intended to be indicative of the price of the life of a policeman. It is to assist the relatives in getting through the immediate difficult and traumatic period.
Additionally, through the Benevolent Fund, of which every rank is a contributor, the sum of $200,000 is made available to assist with the funeral expenses. Other administrative support, such as transportation, facilities for wake, choir etc. are put in place, depending on the requirements of the bereaved family.
The statement also noted that regular ranks of the GPF killed in the line of duty are entitled to a ‘death gratuity’ providing that they have served a minimum of two years. This gratuity is calculated based on their salary at the time of demise and, in the case of members of the Special Constabulary, the rank would have had to serve a minimum of seven years.
Currently, efforts are being made, through the Guyana Police Association (GPA), to have that sum paid to ranks as death benefit, increasd by the Government, the release said.
It said plans are afoot to ensure that the children of such ranks, who are in receipt of a bursary from the GPF while attending secondary school, would have this sort of assistance continued should they decide to attend the University of Guyana (UG).

Very malicious
The GPF said, to say that the deaths of ranks killed in the line of duty are “glossed over with an annual service” is a very malicious statement by the Kaieteur News.
The GPF, under the late Commissioner Laurie Lewis, built a ‘Monument to our Fallen Heroes’ so that those honourable ranks, who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the country and its citizens, will not be forgotten.
The annual ‘Wreath Laying Ceremony’ during the Force Anniversary celebrations in July is not meant for show but is a very solemn occasion where these exemplary ranks are honoured and their memory kept alive, the release said.
The GPF asked: “On Remembrance Day when wreaths are laid during ceremonies all over the world to honour those who died in the World Wars, is it meant to ‘gloss over their deaths?”
It was pointed out that, during Christmas, the Administration of the Force, with the Commissioner of Police and Police Divisional Commanders in the forefront, gives meaningful assistance to the relatives of police ranks killed in the line of duty through the provision of a significant food hamper and other efforts are continually made through the Police Welfare Department to assist with any reasonable request made by relatives.
There have also been occasions when the relatives of ranks killed in the line of duty have been offered employment in the GPF, the statement said.
It also said that, over the years, the GPF has done and continues to do its utmost in efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators involved in the killing of police ranks and, simultaneously, tend to the resulting welfare issues that may confront the sorrowing relatives.
Such matters are intrinsic to the maintenance of moral, motivation and esprit de corps and are treated with the seriousness they deserve, the statement said.