OVER the weekend during a police outreach at Met-en-Meerzorg, acting

Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell called on citizens to ‘declare war’ on the criminals and do everything in their power to protect their families.
“For far too long criminals have been behaving as if they own the communities, walking into your communities, entering your homes, terrorising your families  and doing what they feel like, but this must stop now,”  Brumell said.
“Do not be in your home and have people come in to rob you, rape your family and you sit there and do nothing, it’s time to fight,”  the commissioner urged the residents.
And in relation to those persons who are licensed firearm holders, the Top Cop also had a message for them, calling them to action by being their brothers’ keepers.
“When you have a firearm you have a position,” the police commissioner was quoted as saying. He warned that those persons who are firearm holders and only peep through windows and see criminal activities going on and retreat to their homes or run and hide their weapons, there is a course of action to deal with such behaviour. “Be your brothers’ keeper,” Brumell urged.
The outreach by the police is most commendable and one wonders why such activities are not held more frequently, as they provide an excellent opportunity for residents to interact  with law-enforcement officials and ventilate their concerns and provide their suggestions on crime-fighting and vice-versa. Such interactions  also help to bring the police and the communities closer, which is an imperative if the crime fight is going to be successful.
In the face of the serious level of crime, it is doubtful that anyone could differ with the sentiments and exhortations expressed by the police commissioner.
Undoubtedly, there is need for a partnership between communities and the police. However, this is easier said than done, because if a survey is done it would be found that confidence in and respect for the police by the people are at an all time low.
This situation has developed largely because of the unprofessional attitude and behaviour of many members of the police force, although we still have many of them who are truly professional in their conduct and in the execution of their duties.
For some mysterious or unknown reason (s), many members of the police force have the erroneous idea that their job is to harass people instead of providing ‘Service and Protection’  and help, whenever possible. Consequently, a significant proportion of our population do not see the police as their friends or allies.
Perhaps this is a hangover from the days of dictatorial rule when the security forces were used to harass and intimidate and even kill political opponents of the regime during those dark times.
Unless and until the police force can rebuild and regain the confidence and respect of the people, the partnership would not fructify.
Very often when victims go and make a report they are made to feel as if they are the criminals and this is one of the major reasons  many people prefer not to report criminal activities or suspicions of criminal activities.
Also, in many instances, citizens’ reports are not treated with confidentiality and criminals receive information from the police, who are hand-in-glove with the criminals, on who made reports. And it is obvious what has been or could be the result of such actions by the police.
There was a time when the police had paid informants in the communities and they were very useful to the police in intelligence-gathering on criminals. If this is currently not in place then every effort should be made to reintroduce it.
Throughout the world crime-fighting strategies are changing from a reactive one to a proactive one, and a key tool in making this become a reality is through a community/police partnership.
For example,in article 212 (d) of the Uganda constitution, the police are mandated to prevent crimes with the cooperation of the public and population, generally.
The sooner this can become a reality in Guyana, the better for upping the ante and bolstering the fight against the criminals and the criminal underworld which has been plaguing the fabric of the Guyanese society like a cancer.