THE assurance of Public Security Minister Ramjattan that all rogue cops must go since there is no place for them in the Guyana Police Force is a most welcome development.The minister promised categorically, “All rogue cops, especially when judicial officers would have pronounced on the wrongdoings, will go, and even those cops who have had serious allegations, if internally there are investigations and we find them culpable, they are going to go too. I want the GPF to know that it will be zero tolerance for any harassment of any citizen, of people’s rights, harassment to the extent of bullyism and even the grave one of burning people’s genitalia. They are all going to go and there will be criminal prosecutions.”
This uncompromising, zero-tolerance approach has long been needed and has become imperative in the nation’s resonances of fear of merely going about their daily lives without looking over their shoulders to see whether they will be pounced on by a predator.
Members of a nation’s security forces are trained to kill – but to kill enemies that threaten the security of the land to which they owe filial duty, and to protect the citizens of that land.
A homeowner, on looking out of his window and seeing a police cruiser, should then be able to rest peacefully with his family within the sanctuary of his home, safe in the knowledge that the nation’s protectors are protecting the nation, and that bandits will have to beware.
But what happens when the protector becomes the hunter? When security forces sent to protect the innocent citizens of the land from bandits in the backlands of the nation take the lives of innocent persons going about their simple pursuits – such as the sugar workers who were kidnapped and slain aback Buxton? What happens when arms and ammunition disappear from army bonds, only to be found later in the hands of bandits? What happens when decent citizens of the land go with hope to make a complaint to police ranks, who can only identify with the lawless elements of society and treat the decent people of the land like criminals? What happens when the citizens of the land call on police ranks for help and their response is that they do not have vehicles? Yet, the police vehicles are seen ferrying girlfriends and other family members, making personal airport runs, providing recreational support to ranks, but never available to render assistance to the taxpaying citizens of the land. What happens when drunken drivers are set free after paying a traffic rank a raise? What happens when someone who is not guilty of any crime gets hassled by the police on the instructions of someone to whom they are related, or by whom they were rewarded? And what happens when the coast guards of the land sent to protect the citizens from pirates instead become pirates themselves?
What happens is that they are protected by their own, who may know of their culpability but choose to turn a blind eye – either because of fraternal sentiments, or else they share in the spoils, as happened in the instance where police were said to have taken payoffs for turning a ‘Nelson’s’ eye to criminal and murderous activities of army personnel.
Who will police the police and the army? And whom can we trust?
There are numerous reports of police in the rural areas taking a beer and a meal and allowing free-for-all fetes that disturb the peace of the neighbourhood in communities.
There are reports where drug houses flourish because security ranks themselves are users and take payoffs in kind and cash.
How can the nation trust the law-enforcement agencies to enforce against their own? The fact of the matter is that we cannot, and that is why anti-social, even criminal activities by members of Guyana’s security services proliferate.
How could one imagine the terror and the pain of the victims, especially the 10-year-old child, who may have witnessed the murder of his father and uncle, knowing that his turn was next?
How does one hear the word “Police, open the door,” without fear and trepidation? Many bandits come in that guise, even if they wear the uniform legally and legitimately.
Distrust of security service personnel is palpable in the nation – and the sad and disappointing fact is that it is only a few bad eggs who have caused a stench that makes the entire joint services reek.
Minister Ramjattan is on the right track. Crime cannot be reduced, much less eradicated in any society where the criminals find sanctuary in the heart of its security force.