-sources

Well-placed sources say the police’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) has found that the ranks at the East La Penitence Station were negligent in their handling of the Ardell Haynes fatal beating two weeks ago and disciplinary recommendations have been made.

A decision will now have to be made by the Top Cop.

Efforts by this newspaper yesterday afternoon to reach Acting Police Commissioner Henry Greene for a comment on this issue were futile.

A source informed Stabroek News yesterday that the investigation was completed a week ago and the ranks at the station were found to be negligent in their duties.

The report submitted to the commissioner according to the source, said that the ranks did not respond promptly and were lackadaisical in dealing with the matter.

The OPR has made certain recommendations in the report but the source stressed that it is all up to Greene to deal with the ranks at a departmental level.

Days after the man’s death the police announced that the probe into the alleged negligence and misconduct of the ranks would be launched. This came after the man’s wife, Cheril Sydney told reporters that the man was left in the station compound in the drizzling rain between traffic motorcycles and that when she contacted the station via telephone a female rank was uncaring and unmannerly towards her. Haynes had been mistaken for a thief and beaten by a group of persons. He was then taken to the police station by them. (See other story on page 10.)