-And Guyanese in Barbados – legally
Just another fleeting look at another unfortunate occurrence and its consequence for our national comfort.
Of course, this phenomenon produces immense “bad”, then, hopefully and encouragingly, a reasonable degree of “good”. What am I going on about? It’s the phenomenon of members of our disciplined forces committing crimes – then being caught and charged by their very own – their still honest colleagues.
I posit two preliminary points. The first is my enduring memory of a former departed Police Commissioner Lloyd Barker who first articulated a significant fact: that his police force – in the mid-seventies – could only recruit young policemen from those in the very imperfect community; and only from those who bothered to apply. Barker was at pains to point our then that because of some obvious reasons and circumstances, “the better, more desirable candidates” never applied. They avoided that low-paying, risky career.
The second observation mirrors the view of an attorney-at-law who became a judge. He persuaded me that “some of these young policemen purposely joined the force for the later, available “runnings”! Meaning that some young men had no noble intention to merely “serve and protect”, but to exploit and benefit from arrangements and “runnings” they could hustle.
Against that background, valid or not, I witness the doings of crooked cops and soldiers as bullies, bandits, enforcers or exploiters.
Locking up their own…
Since it is appreciated that the society offered up its not-the-very-best for recruitment to the force and whilst I am even aware that among the less-qualified could be honest well meaning aspirants, it is a given that very many recruits do not, most probably, plan to remain in the force(s) for two/three decades, as their `forties/`fifties predecessors did.
And since the “low salaries and conditions” and the risks and the prevailing economic challenges are many, the policemen of today either succumb to or manipulate situations of exploitative wrong-doing occasioned by their status and authority. The most evil among bad crooked cops and soldiers collaborate with the professional criminals and cartels to gain from illegalities. That is why the modern police forces, especially in Westernized societies, establish some version of an Internal Affairs Department within their organizations. This is the internal unit that keeps track of errant members, alleged or guilty; which oversees professional standards and integrity and which investigates and penalizes, when appropriate. It works well in some police services; it is sometimes compromised when the big ones in the force influence both bad and good.
I have not done enough research to comment on the effectiveness of two agencies I know which are mandated to keep our policemen in line. The force has its Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) and the more external civil watchdog is the Police Complaints Authority. The latter is headed by a retired Chancellor. I will perhaps, err on the side of caution when I merely wonder at the effectiveness of these two; when I ask you if you are aware of their record-or successes and when I suggest that we citizens can all access more facts when we enjoy the Freedom of Information Law.
Meanwhile I must declare that in this corruptocracy that our Democracy is being overtaken by, my hope still soars when I see good police and army officers locking up their own who fell by the wayside. For what would become of society if the enforcers of our laws break and exploit them for personal gain, or for their friends’ advantage?
Some policemen become corrupt seeking to “top up” or supplement salaries; some are plain greedy; some just hope to help loved or favoured ones whilst others just spite their colleagues peers or superiors; still others do their superiors’ bidding. All are wrong!
The force and indiscipline
Some years ago, in sympathy with the (new) beleaguered Commissioner Floyd McDonald, I wanted him to show how the force viewed internal indiscipline. I prepared the following partial draft.
“Another former Commissioner, Laurie Leyland Lewis, publicly challenged all or any other government agencies to prove that they penalised their errant members or employees more often or consistently than the Police Force did. The cynical response to that could have been that he could prove that boast because his Force probably “boasted” many more wrongdoers than other national institutions. But that would, or does not negate the fact that the Guyana Police Force is never hesitant to punish or expel from its ranks, those policemen who themselves break laws in various ways. Unfortunately, this is the position right now.
Over the past five months many ranks, primarily constables and lance-corporals, have been either disciplined departmentally, placed before the courts or dismissed because of the variety of transgressions committed. After following procedures, instituting hearings and reacting to the findings of Courts of Law, the Force has been fair but firm with its errant members who should have been themselves exemplary in upholding or enforcing the laws of the land.
A sampling of the offences committed by members of the Force recently would indicate: simple larceny, providing false information with intent to cause a public officer to use his lawful power to the injury of another person, corrupt transaction with an agent, obtaining by false pretence, unlawful wounding, unlawful possession of arms and ammunition, possession of narcotics, forgery, robbery with violence, throwing a corrosive substance and rape. It is therefore easy to appreciate that, across all the Divisions of the Force, ranks have been charged with the very crimes, they have to investigate and/or charge members of the public for. We indicated earlier in this piece, why this unfortunate circumstance is so.
But, we reiterate in conclusion, that the Force is relentless in its effort to cleanse its membership. Ranks accused with some justification are interdicted and investigated thoroughly, after which an appropriate and just penalty is imposed.”
I trust those sentiments still prevail. There should be more “traps”, more decoys and other strategies to catch the crooked. But there should be specific sessions to offer orientation and pre-emptive incentives to prevent police and soldiers from becoming crooked! For how many wrong-doers could the Force(s) keep replacing?
Documented and
legal in Barbados
You know me by now, my regulars – I’m not going to plunge in to this Barbados – Guyana issue when dozens of more competent and more professional are wading in daily.
But I could not restrain myself from this angle, this brief, brief. You know why Barbados’ right to enforce its immigration laws has assumed this rabid Bajan-Guyana character? Even as other Caricom nationals are involved? It’s because that little “successful” island forged strong familial, fraternal links with us decades ago. Bajans came to BG, on schooners, looking for new lives and better wives. I’m not being facetious!
So the Fentys, Holders, Harewoods, Pilgrims, Allsopps – and scores of other families have dual Barbadian/Guyanese orgins. So I do two things to conclude my brief: I agree with Monday’s Stabroek that:
“Bridgetown is clearly in the right to enforce its national laws and remove aliens who have no documentation or have transgressed the law. It must however do this without humiliating the very people who have provided service to its economy. These persons are entitled to due process, reasonable time to transfer their belongings acquired over a significant period and to prepare themselves for the return.”
And secondly, I express the view that Mr. Thompson – that former Young Democrat (ic) friend of the Guyana PNC – and Barbados must be proud to know that there are legal, documented, good Guyanese carpenters, teachers, nurses and nannies in little England. I bet too that PM Thompson is happy to have on his island, Guyanese like Sir Shridath Ramphal, Sir Ron Sanders, Rickey Singh, Dr. Aubrey Armstrong and his sister, Ms Gibbs (who runs the top newspaper), Aubrey Cummings, Eddy Grant, Olga Lopes-Seale, Lincoln Lewis, Pat Thompson, Latchman Kissoon, Compton Bourne and … I’d better stop.
If she lives in Barbados, I do hope superstar Rihanna Fenty’s Guyanese mother, is “documented”. Or has a valid work “permit”. (Ha!).
Ponder…
1*) Within the context of Guyana-Islander inter-relations, Do you know that GPSU Patrick Yarde was born in Aruba? And that the gracious socialist, the late Ranji Chandisingh, having been born in T&T, was a Trinidadian Guyanese? And that… (I’d better stop!).
2*) The PNC and the opposition others are right to criticize GPL’s excruciating backouts. But it started under my PNC. My then GEC Public Relations friends used to be invited to dozens of parties and weddings, So that their presence would avoid blackouts. (They couldn’t go to all!)
3*) Is my government embarrassed? Wouldn’t go to Roraima’s festival because they – my government is far from ready for the Bridge opening?
‘Til next week!
(comments? allanafenty@yahoo.com)
