Dear Editor,
The buck stops with the Police Commissioner. I am disappointed that he is blaming the police victims at Bartica. This is not how one expects to improve the morale of the Police Force. The failure at Bartica is systemic as evidenced by the previous unchallenged attack on Police HQ despite adequate notice of intent by the perpetrators; and the inability to learn from the ability of the gunmen to breach previous encirclements at Buxton to attack the Rosehall banks and elsewhere. It was obvious to any observer that Georgetown and its environs are too hot for any follow-up action by the gunmen, and therefore, it was clear that they would chose an unguarded community for the next strike. If a proper system of readiness was in place then HQ should have had daily verifications of each post, without fail. After all, the Commissioner acknowledged that his forces are now fair game to the gunmen.
In order to prevail against your enemies, it is necessary to acknowledge your weaknesses; to believe that the enemy knows it too; and to configure your defences/offences accordingly. In this unprecedented crisis, the Commissioner has a responsibility to ensure that the GPF’s posture should always advertise its fortitude and it should be the same in Lethem, Morawhanna, Crabwood Creek, and Georgetown.
Yours faithfully,
Derek A. Braithwaite
