Dear Editor,
“Indeed new and evolving threats to our nation demand new and evolving initiatives to conquer them, if we apply old remedies we will have the same old results.”
These are not my words but those of the new Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Commodore Gary Best, as reported in the September 29 edition of your newspaper.
For me, this is a welcome statement from the new Chief-of-Staff, but for reasons not necessarily consistent with Commodore Best’s thinking on the evolving threats and the new initiatives with which he has got to grapple. While rising crime remains one of the evolving threats with which Best and the Joint Services must deal, an even greater evolving threat is the methodology used by the Joint Services to address the problem of crime. Brutality, torture, trickery, illegal entry of homes and an incompetent strategy on the part of the Joint Services such as that which would give a school administration the option to release children into a community just prior to a law enforcement operation, are, in my view, “evolving threats to our nation…[that] demand new and evolving initiatives to conquer them.”
“If we apply old remedies we will have the same old results,” says the Commodore, and I agree fully with him. I hope Mr Best has said what he means and means what he said. If so, then he must embark on a new initiative to conquer the flawed policy of the Joint Services which was displayed in Buxton recently. The first step in this new initiative, Commodore Best, must be to initiate immediately a public inquiry into the Joint Services operation in Buxton two weeks ago, including the torture of two innocent men who live in that village. We can no longer apply old remedies such as internal and closed inquiries the results of which are seldom made known to the public, since this will have the same old results – continued brutality and torture by the Joint Services of innocent people, lack of public trust of, and confidence in our law enforcement agencies and ultimately a continuing rise in crime.
Another important aspect of your new initiatives, Commodore Best, must be to honestly and professionally examine the role of politicians in the crime situation in Guyana and to inform the public of any findings which suggest that any politicians have connections with criminal elements in the society.
Commodore, according to the Stabroek News report, you said critical support was required from the private sector, political parties, civil society and the media to provide the necessary security architecture of the nation as a whole. In this context, the Chief of Staff said, best practices by persons who lead these organizations, including the GDF, was expected.
The nation expects nothing but best practices from Commodore Best.
Yours faithfully,
Wesley Kirton