Credits discipline, hard work for his successful career

Senior Superintendent Hugh Jessamy, who joined the Guyana Police Force on July 31, 1982 has retired. Reflecting on his stint, Jessamy said after nine months of training at the Felix Austin Police College, he was later transferred to the East La Penitence Police Station for his first assignment – Christmas Policing. He thought it was bitter-sweet, since he was away from his home and his family for the first time ever. And he was enjoying his first job.

Mr. Jessamy recalls that he was transferred as a uniformed rank to ‘G’ Division on the Essequibo Coast as a General Duties constable. It didn’t take long for his colleagues to recognise that he had a good future in the Force. He was very disciplined and so he became a Court Orderly and as he expressed “being a Court Orderly in those days you were expected to be trustworthy, a confidant and much more. In fact, the constables used to see you above them even though we were all the same rank”.

Jessamy was stationed at the Court Superintendents’ Office for several years before completing the CID Induction Course and began his journey as a CID Field Detective. He continued to work in ‘G’ Division and in the year 1992 he was promoted to Corporal and seven years later he became a Sergeant. However, he was promoted Inspector after which he served as the Divisional Detective Inspector for the Essequibo Coast and it became a trend that wherever he went thereafter he toured as either the Detective Office or the Deputy.

Jessamy was transferred to ‘D’ Division as the Officer In-charge of Criminal Investigations in every Division within the Force as an accomplishment that only a few persons in the Force have achieved.
He also worked in ‘A’ Division where he was most challenged, even though he excelled from an inspector to senior superintendent. He recalls sleepless nights and taking crime reports in the mornings as early as 3 a.m and still having to be at work on time. Onto this day, even in retirement, Jessamy still is awake in the wee hours of the mornings.

“Discipline has a face,” he reflected. “I would have loved to have a tertiary education. Words of the wise are worth more than a million dollars “I can only implore on the ranks to be of good character; disciplined and when the opportunity presents itself, get a good tertiary education because there will come a time when a bottleneck will exist in the organisation and those with character, discipline and tertiary education will be pushed through and rise to the top.”

The things that drove him to success were tremendous discipline and the knack to always seek knowledge. “Discipline builds character, you can rise to the highest point in this organisation and you can be ridiculously intelligent, but once you don’t have a disciplined (character) you will fall. In fact you may not even rise at all. So being disciplined is what I believe in, even though I would have loved to have a tertiary education to build this character”.

The road is never easy for someone who spent 35 years in the Force and Jessamy did reminisce on his hardships while being a serving member but he was able to use those hardships as stepping stones to become the person he is today, using his experience to counsel other ranks who believe in leaving the organization and think they may find something better. But he posits that “ the Force is like a family you have the comradery and the brace that no other place can give and even after spending 35 years even more that you would have spent with your birth family, day by day the Force creates that supporting and nourishing environment where the ranks become your brothers and sisters”.

“My reason for joining the Guyana Police Force was because I was actually among 12 siblings in my family and I left school at the age of 17. So I was at home for a while doing a lot of reading, there wasn’t a G.T. Edson, W. Moore, Louis Sanders, Lobsang Rampa and many others that I didn’t read, so my grandmother asked me this question: Are you going to be reading your life away? You need to get a job. Life was not easy for me as a child, each class had a Jessamy or sometimes two and poverty was at its zenith and I just wanted to get out from that life.

My first shot at getting out was at the Burnham Agriculture School in North West. I stayed there for one year because I wanted to be away from the poverty stricken place called home. I was then offered a job as a teacher to teach in Karasabai and Sand Creek and I didn’t even know where to find such place so at that time I returned home with my farmer’s certificate”.
After a few months a friend came to me and said: “Listen you know you could be a Police.”

“I said:“ Nah man, me nah police” but the pressure was holding me down so I called my friend and I followed him to Eve Leary and as I reflected, when I reached the Stelling I saw the big clock as we started to walk. When we arrived at the Training Institution I did the exams and I passed and when I came out to tell my friend the great news he had already left. My training had commenced and time had passed and I was placed to work at Rabbit Walk and that was my out.

I started walking that night with my bags bearing right until I saw the clock. I caught the boat and made my way home. The following day a police vehicle pulled up at my house and took me back. The facts are, I never wanted to join the Force but poverty was the force that compelled me and so I stayed and grew to love it and here I am today.”
“I do not believe that people who inculcate evil do so through poverty, I think it’s a choice,” Jessamy said while noting that he went through many things and never decided to commit crime to earn a living.

“Most times such evil ways and practices are supported by parents, but they have a consciousness.”
His words of advice he would like to leave with his fellow colleagues and members of the Force are “hard work, education, and discipline”. With no elaborate plans for his retirement but to spend quality time with his family, however, he plans on exploring other job opportunities.
“I would love to remain in the Guyana Police Force, but I have to retire since this creates an avenue and an opening for someone who is aspiring to full my portfolio, the Deputy Crime Chief said.

“I must say that I am happy because some people for one reason or the other fell short. But I will tell you the truth I have never wanted to be the Commissioner of Police, all I wanted was to be a good policeman”.
Senior Superintendent Hugh Jesemy officially retires on Sunday, October 01, 2017. The Commissioner of Police, Officers and other ranks of the Force wish Mr. Jessamy long life and prosperity as he ventures into civilian mode, and may his transition be smooth and fulfilling.