WE, the Guyanese people extend gratitude and thanks to the outgoing Crime Chief, Leslie James, for his professional contribution to crime fighting and wish him much success in his future endeavors.
We wish to also congratulate, Wendell Blanhum (Snr Supt) on his elevation to the position of Police Crime Chief and hope for him, tremendous success in his new task to effectively manage the nation’s spiraling crime. Mr Blanhum comes highly qualified and therefore we, the Guyanese people have full confidence in his skills and expertise to get the job done.
It’s no secret that the Guyana Police Force has some introspecting to do. The law enforcement body has suffered tremendous reputational setbacks over the past couple of decades and is one of the lowest rated within CARICOM. Ideally, we would have liked to see a complete shake-up of the Force, starting with the Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud.
His explanation to allow the promotion of the two police officers who tortured a child was a splendid argument for his removal. None-the-less, we hope to see these two policemen who disgraced our nation, disciplined, prosecuted and removed. The Guyanese people are watching President Granger to see if his speeches on the campaign trail were just rhetoric.
Of interest to the Guyanese people is the status of the investigation into the suspicious item that was placed in our Armed Force’s rice ration. Our proud members of the Armed Forces deserve to be treated with priority and respect since they place their lives in harms-way to defend our nation.
The status of the police investigation into the officer who shot a child in his mouth needs to be completed. The status of the Crum-Ewing investigation is an embarrassment to the nation and needs transparency. The chronic problem of Police corruption via missing court case jackets makes Guyana the laughing stock of the Caribbean and needs urgent correction. And the many, many unsolved investigations that has become a norm for the Police Force. Let’s get it right.
BERKELEY VAN BOWEN
