When the security services in Guyana were deliberately de-professionalised and criminalised to aid the oppressive regime of a former dictatorial administration, the Guyana Police Force heeded the call of ‘kith and kin’ politics and were used, instead of “To Protect and Serve” the Guyanese people, to drive fear and discourage citizens from seeking their constitutional rights to freedom of choice – of any kind and in any dimension, even to eat the foods of their choice.

What PPP supporters, mainly Indo-Guyanese, fail to grasp until today is that they were not the only victims of that lawless dynamic then prevailing; because many Afro-Guyanese also fell prey to the oppressors in uniform – Walter Rodney being the most famous case in point.
Subsequent to the PPP/C’s victory at the polls in October of 1992, newly-elected Executive President Dr. Cheddi Jagan attempted to once more professionalise the service sectors – security, public sector, et al. However, by then corruption had become endemic to the national psyche and had infused every aspect of national life, to the extent that every transaction, no matter how small, was an exercise in futility unless a bribe was paid.
But with fortitude and determination the new Government made inroads – mainly through forging partnerships with main players and key stakeholders, such as the private sector and impartial NGOs; and also by re-construction of the constitution and establishing relevant commissions, to eradicate destructive, dishonest and unpatriotic actions; albeit with minimal success, although Government has initiated many educational, wealth-creational and empowerment programmes to enable enhanced lifestyles of employees within the various sectors.
But living above their means through partying, having multiple partners, dressing high fashion, going to every show that sells tickets for thousands of dollars, eating out more than in, etc, etc, etc, has corroded the conscience of service sector employees, so that ‘more’ and ‘more’ and ‘more’ is never enough; so the get-rich-schemes and dishonest acts never stop.
A letter-writer of this newspaper Ted King, posited: “Police living above their means is cause for dishonest practices”, and he goes on to state, among other remarks: “They have been getting constant increases in wages and benefits, including tax-free pay for lower ranks; 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.”
He continued, “There was also a call for there to be joint operations between the police and 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 police and you will get a clear picture about criminals in the Guyana Police Force. With respect to the call to arm citizens – 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?”
Residents of Upper Corentyne Berbice met last Tuesday at the Number 48 Primary School with Commissioner of Police, Leroy Brumell and the top brass of the Police Force and those from the Police ‘B’ Division following protest action to express their dissatisfaction with the modus operandi of the police in the division, especially those on the Corentyne, and their contention that police ranks are in collusion with the criminals, and even engage in criminal activities, using their police paraphernalia, including arms and uniforms.
Supporting the Berbicians was PPP/C Member of Parliament, Dharamkumar Seeraj, who iterated that Berbicians don’t trust certain police. He is calling on the Guyana Police Force to launch a full investigation into the allegations by the Corentyne residents and noted that the visit of Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell to the Corentyne was an indication that the spike in crime has caught the attention of the police. Seeraj warned “We have to nip this problem in the bud to ensure that it does not escalate,” and said that the commissioner should not take the reports from the residents lightly, alluding to remarks by the commissioner wherein he mentioned that some members of the community who were making allegations against the police were under the influence of alcohol.
However, Seeraj noted that “where there is smoke, there is fire”. He had met earlier with some of the residents and is adamant that there is a degree of veracity in some of the allegations against several ranks of the force. He related “There are persons in this school who are prepared to give statements on what they saw… one man was coming out of the backdam and his gate made a noise and shots were fired at him, when he came around he saw that car that was identified driving slowly along with one person inside.” He added that the man reported that when he later saw the car, there were four persons inside and advised “The only way that we can deal with this matter is for the police to carry out a full investigation. In order for them to carry out that investigation we have to give them that information.”
But the general problem is trust issues the public at large have with the police force, members of whom, right across the country, citizens are convinced are colluding with criminal elements; even committing criminal acts, including armed robberies themselves.
Not so long ago a police commissioner was taped allegedly having a conversation with a senior member of an opposition political party in which the commissioner implicated himself in serious criminal activities, including murder: That equation could hardly be changed, because the commissioner was not acting alone, and when he retired the other ranks who were his co-conspirators were left, obviously continuing in the same activities, obviously under direction from the leadership of the same opposition political party.
So who will police the police? The police will have to do it themselves so as to re-generate trust in the public once more. The truth is that most police ranks are honourable and patriotic, serving with diligence and commitment to “serve and protect”, and it is up to them to weed out the rotten apples because the taint and mistrust is spreading to encapsulate the entire force. Many policemen have laid their lives on the line and have worked beyond the call of duty to “protect and serve”, and it is unjust and de-motivating to label them with the actions of the corrupt ranks; so it is incumbent upon them to eliminate this scourge from their august sector.