THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) yesterday responded to an article published in the Kaieteur News yesterday (April 02, 2015) under the caption “Do the officers respect the Commissioner of Police?” in the Freddie Kissoon column, in which they made several points.

A press release stated that the Commissioner of Police had stated that police roadblocks should be conducted in front of Police Stations and should be done by ranks in uniform that include name tags.

He went on to say that in cases where a police roadblock has to be held away from a Police Station, then it must be done by uniformed ranks using a clearly marked police vehicle, Police said.

The GPF states that the police roadblock held at Cove and John last Tuesday was not “improper” nor was it being conducted “in violation of police procedures” as stated in the article.

The police added that the roadblock was being held on the Cove and John Public Road at the entrance to the Cove and John Police Station and the Police Divisional Headquarters by ranks in police uniform; there was therefore no need for any marked police vehicle at that point.

It should be noted also that at the entrance to the Cove and John Police Station Compound there is an illuminated sign clearly indicating the location of the station, Police stated.

The GPF further noted that the police roadblock was not withdrawn following the intervention of Mr. Freddie Kissoon and then later replaced as is implied in the article.

The roadblock continued in progress until it was assessed to be tactically appropriate to conclude the activity, the release said.

The concern expressed by Mr. Freddie Kissoon to the effect that the ranks at the police roadblock at Cove and John, ECD, on Tuesday were not wearing name tags has been noted and that issue is now engaging the Police Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), police noted.