MINISTER of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, has recommitted his government’s support to the widows, orphans and families of the policemen and women who have died while on duty.
“Mr. Commissioner, Police Officers and citizens, we commit to improving on and providing the requisite, succinct support and direction to help reduce the service risk, the incidents of loss of life and injury and the shared grief we experience on the death of our policemen [and women] in service of our country,” Benn assured.
He was at the time addressing those gathered at the Police Officers’ Mess Compound in Georgetown on Saturday, for the 182nd wreath laying ceremony for fallen heroes.
“In gathering, every year, at this place, we remind ourselves, formally, of the ultimate sacrifice made by our policemen in providing us with the ‘Service and Protection’ we continuously need in order to allow for the growth and development of our citizens, society and country,” the Home Affairs Minister said.
He added that the ceremony, and others similar to it, give particular emphasis on “recognising that their loss, to us, identifies the ennobling features of the protective and preventative service against criminality; the loss of life, limb and property and in ensuring peace in Guyana by service in the Guyana Police Force”.
Further, Minister Benn asked that the names of the fallen heroes be “read out and that a flame eternal and a spring be emplaced, at this place, in their memory.”

The 56 ranks remembered were killed in the line of duty from 1913 to 2010. They include Corporal 1546 James Ramsay, who was killed in 1913 at Plantation Rosehall Canje, Berbice by armed strikers; Corporal. 3485 Ferdinand Mitchell who was killed in 1927 when he was ambushed and shot dead on Tarlogie, Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice; Constable. 5527 Claude Allen who was shot at Field 10 aback of Reliance Canje, Berbice, while escorting payroll in 1957; Constable 5062 Leslie Hannibal, hacked to death in 1958 by notorious criminal Edward Lashley in Georgetown; Corporal 4683 Edgar Benn, shot in 1959 by notorious criminal Clement Cuffy at Naamryck, East Bank Essequibo; Constable 4733 Henry Chester, also shot in 1959 by notorious criminal Clement Cuffy at Naamryck, East Bank Essequibo; Sergeant 5065 Clarence Bacchus shot in 1961, while investigating a report of burglary in Albouystown, Georgetown; Supt. Deryck McLeod shot by an unidentified sniper in Robb Street, Georgetown during ‘Black Friday Riots’ in 1962; Inspector 4412 Whittington Braithwaite, attacked and killed by the Harts and Melvilles at Lethem Police Station during an insurrection in 1969. The other fallen heroes include Sergeant 4590 James Anderson; Constable 5611 James McKenzie; Constable 5691 William Norton;

Constable 7178 Kendall Michael; Constable. 8905 Michael Robinson who, in 1973, was attacked, beaten and thrown into a canal where he drowned, while on duty at Canal # 2, West Bank Demerara; Constable 8898 Kennard Nicholson, stabbed in 1973 at Enmore Police Outpost, East Coast Demerara by Abdool Sammy; Constable 7137 Bhagwan Persaud, who died after being struck down by a car at a road block on Beterverwagting Public Road, East Coast Demerara in 1974; Constable 8646 James Henry who was shot at Number 62 Toll Station, Berbice in 1974; Constable 9002 Audie Bourne, who was shot in Station Street, Kitty, while responding to a 911 call in 1974; Corporal 8250 Gavin King, shot in Albouystown, while investigating a report of robbery in 1978; Constable 0407 – John Shepherd – shot in Laing Avenue, Georgetown by wanted criminal, Simon Mc Phoy in 1979; Constable 10510 Lakhram Sukdeo, stabbed while on duty at GEC, Sub Station, David and Sheriff Streets, Kitty in 1980; Constable 8818 John Toney, shot and burnt at Mora Point Police Outpost in 1981; Constable 16418 Adrian Williams, shot while attending to a report at West La Penitence, Georgetown in 1996; Sergeant 11117 Richard Faikall, shot by bandits, who had robbed the GNCB, Anna Regina, Essequibo in 1996; and Constable 16138 Allan Higgins, shot by notorious criminal, Hilton Rodrigues at Cromarty, Corentyne, Berbice in 2000.
“We all thank them and their families for their exemplary service at the most critical of times and occasions. Eternal Glory and Memory to these, forever young, Fallen Hero Policemen as we work to ensure that their sacrifice would not have been in vain!” Minister Benn concluded.