RESIDENTS of Upper Corentyne, Berbice, on Tuesday, January 28 met with Commissioner of Police, Leroy Brumell and other top brass of the Force and those from the police ‘B’ Division, where the residents expressed dissatisfaction with the modus operandi of the police in the division, especially those on the Corentyne.There was a very vocal call for tax-free salaries for police officers at the lower ranks to prevent them from being involved in unlawful activities. They have been getting constant increases in wages and benefits, and even if Government increases their wages by 100%, tax free, they will still steal, because no amount of money in this world is “enough” for these thieves, since they have to fete “child-mothers”, and impress the future “child-mothers”, all at the same time.

There was also a call for there to be joint operations between the police and the army with respect to police patrols of the communities, but these citizens need to understand that even though this might eventuate, there is no guarantee of security, because criminals are entrenched in both services: When they commit crimes, they are transferred elsewhere to commit these acts at a different location.
Investigate the criminal activities on nights of robberies, and trace the police and you will get a clear picture about criminals in the Guyana Police Force.
With respect to the call for firearms, Commissioner Brumell explained that there is a process which has to be followed, and one of the main issues is the attitude of those who wish to acquire firearms.
What attitude is he talking about? The justifiable anger that hard-working citizens feel at being targeted by criminals and receiving no protection from the police force, which they justifiably contend are in collusion with criminals, and even perpetrate criminal activities?
The government needs to train citizens in the proper use of high-powered weapons, and either issue them with weapons, or allow citizens to purchase those weapons to defend themselves, families and property. If 50 citizens with high-powered weapons live in one street with 100 people, does Mr Brumell not think these very bandits would think a million times before going into that street to beat, rob, rape and kill householders and business persons?
He needs to stop pussyfooting and go dig deep into the stronghold areas of a particular political party with close ties to criminals, who are seemingly awash with illegal weapons, to find the arms cache that is being used to commit crimes in Guyana.
Ted King