UNTIL and unless serious action is taken by the authorities to weed out and seriously sanction the perpetrators, and re-establish the criteria for dealing with members of the public in the various areas of engagements, the trust of the society in the entire security institution would remain compromised.

The rogue cops in the Guyana Police Force have been, for a long time, committing acts that run counter to the mandate of the Force, much to the angst of the public, the embarrassment of the organisation in which they serve, the frustration of the senior officers and Government officials, and the shame of the truly dedicated and hard-working members of the Force.
Many times police abdicate their responsibilities to respond to reports of, or investigate, serious crimes, and until and unless these laissez faire responses, or lack of any response, are reversed, there will continue to be a proliferation of criminal activity.
Persons drink and drive, or speed recklessly on the highways, kill someone else, and are allowed to live their own lives after “settling” the matter.
A few letter-writers from the public have been pursuing the phenomenon of members of the judiciary and magistracy sending away persons charged with serious criminal offences with a mere tap on the wrists, resulting in many instances of the perpetrators repeating the offence, often with tragic consequences to their victims.
If many influential members of the entrepreneurial fraternity cannot receive justice in this society, then what can the average citizen hope to achieve by complaining to the police?
There is a church in Adelphi, East Canje, that awakens neighbours –some of whom work night shifts and need their morning sleep — every day with cacophonous shouting, stamping and tromping over loudspeakers.  Children who study late in the night for exams and need that extra sleep find themselves being fatigued before their school day is over.
Sundays, which are supposed to be days of peaceful relaxation for families who pursue their various working and education-acquisition activities all week, have become days of exquisite torture, as members of this church rock the earth to gain the ears of Heaven. But, last I heard, God is not deaf!  He can hear your prayers, even before they are formulated!  Ranting and raving would only cause pain and discomfort to people who need their peace; they are not God, and don’t need to hear anyone’s supplications.
On many occasions, wife abusers or child molesters, or even persons who have had disputes, violent or otherwise, but which are criminal in nature, are allowed to “settle” the matter.  Children need society and the law to be their voice; women are most often psychologically, emotionally and/or financially dependent on their abusers, and are thus unable to be decisive in matters where they need to prosecute their abusers.
In these instances, it is the mandate of the police to protect the vulnerable persons, and reject their plea for mercy for their abusers.
And, oftentimes, traffic offenders, including drunk drivers, are allowed to walk away with merely a figurative rap on the knuckles; sometimes after paying a ‘raise’ to the traffic cop, some of whom have made policing a business venture, pulling in thousands of dollars every day.
The police’s mandate is “to protect and serve”; and allowing culprits to break the laws with impunity can, and often do, result in disastrous consequences.  Many drivers who drink and drive eventually end up killing someone. The implications of “settling” criminal matters between private parties are many and varied, not least is causing the public to wonder how far did the “payoff” extend.
For the mistakes and/or wrongdoings of a few the entire Police Force is often pilloried and sanctioned by the sanctimonious and hypocrital opportunists in the society, who hardly ever give credit to the hard and unremitting work in gruelling, often life-threatening conditions, under which the Police serve.
The fact that many are killed in the line of duty is testimony to the dire nature of their occupation, and if a perpetrator gets hurt in an encounter all the political opportunists crucify them, but no-one comes out to condemn the criminals who wantonly waste the lives of Guyana’s police, who are themselves protectors and protectors of mothers, fathers, siblings, children, spouses.  It is as if the members of the Police Force have no rights.
But there are also mavericks in the Force whose actions redound to the disgrace of the entire organisation. So, come on, police, do your job and maintain your honour and that of the institution and nation you are supposed to serve over and above any other.