Dear Editor,
Is it ironic that Mr Slowe made his remarks on the conclusion of his years of service with the Guyana Police Force? Not by a long shot. I wish to suggest to this overnight knight in shining armour, who is now coming to the rescue of all the persons who were robbed, brutalised, chastised and terrorised by members of the Guyana Police Force, that this is not an overnight affair. This corruption has been there for decades and is continuing unabated and unnoticed by the powers that be.
Maybe Mr Slowe who waited until he was out of the system to reveal this corruption can make another speech and tell the people what he did to stop the corruption and how many persons were disciplined during his time for the said corruption. Did he notice any corruption when he was Commander in Berbice? He must have been very strict with the members of the force so they did no wrong.
Corruption is there and is almost out of control. One can hear lawyers talking of police demanding money to settle matters and then the matters still get to the courts and all the monies paid are never returned and yet no one makes an effort to stem the flow of this type of illegal activity. Police pressure persons to settle matters when complaints are made at the station and these persons are told, but “the police gat to get something too.” Is anyone doing anything about it?
I have made several complaints about the irregularities within the force, particularly the brutality and the demands for money, but they have gone unnoticed. The members named are still in the force, and now the people believe that if you complain the police will do things to you. Just last Wednesday, June 2, a young man was arrested on a warrant because he failed to attend court to answer to a charge of failing to wear seatbelt. After he failed to attend court on the first occasion, which he said he was not informed of, a warrant was issued for his arrest. Police ranks went to his home at East Canje and arrested him. When he was brought to the police station his shirt was torn, his left cheek was swollen and he took a few slaps from the arresting ranks. I was at the station and so I saw the signs of violence and enquired. His grandmother who was at home told me the story. He was kept overnight at the central police station, for a seat belt violation. (No wonder people do not help these men in uniform.)
When the matter was heard in New Amsterdam the next day and I made mention of the beating the grandmother was arrested and taken to central police station and told that she would be charged for obstructing the police. It was not a charge that was remotely contemplated by the police before I spoke in court. They released her about two hours later without charging her.
The point in all of this is to show the fear police put into people who dare to complain. And this is not new to Mr Slowe and he cannot say that he did not know of any such behaviour during his time. I can understand that he is leaving the force and is a little peeved with the way he was treated (11 years without a promotion), but maybe he did not deserve the promotion. But he should not let the public believe that he was acting against corruption when he was in an authoritative position and to all appearances did nothing. I would ask the other assistant commissioners and even the Commissioner of Police to move to stamp out the corruption now. They should not wait for their retirement day to do it. They should show that they are worthy of the motto ‘To serve and protect,’ and I know that some of them are worthy.
Yours faithfully,
Charrandass Persaud
Attorney-at-law
