Dear Editor,
We will have to acquire, adapt and develop technology as the propellant, so to speak, of our police force activities. The police force will not get far without the assistance of such technology, which must be appropriate to our country’s needs and have a direct relevance to our resource base and environment.
According to the Commissioner of Police Henry Greene, “Sometimes the 911 service does not work well in some areas,” But according to Ms Tara Mattai, an overseas-based Guyanese, in her quest to help her drowning relatives she used a cellular phone to call 911, the police emergency number. She said that she called about 25 times before her call was answered. Too often we hear of people calling the police and there is no response, or there is late arrival on the scene. More innocent people will continue to lose their lives as in the Lusignan massacre because of police inaction, and this will continue to damage the relationship between the police force and the public. According to GT&T the telephone company was not at fault, so why did no help arrive after 25 calls? Surely there is a need for an investigation into this matter. Over the years, the government has made a massive investment in the police force. The Minister of Home Affairs and the Commissioner of Police must act urgently to remove the many problems which have in the past hampered the efficient running of the force. One of the most important of these is the problem of the police sitting in the station doing nothing when calls are being made by members of the public. The Commissioner of Police must ensure that administrative, managerial and other supportive arrangements are established or improved in relation to the 911 system throughout the country.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Khan
