Dear Editor,
The Guyana Police Force has within its ranks, at all levels, some of the finest persons, who display the highest professionalism, decency and moral rectitude – men and women we can be proud of. Unhappily, these honourable men and women must carry the burden and shame of a few ranks. Their image is daily being sullied by ranks who should not be in the force, but from all appearances, have the support of some ‘big ones.’ For space and time, I offer five examples.
First, the Lindo Creek Massacre; the owner of the camp and a mourner provided evidence with drawings to show it could not have been a ‘Fineman’ Rawlins operation. After his public statement, the police high command boasted that they had an eyewitness. An eyewitness yes, but what next?
Second, we still await a proper inquiry into the Phantom Squad, and the assassination of scores of men including Shafeek Bacchus, Minister Satyadeow Sawh and Ronald Waddell. Who killed Alicia Foster and others?
Third, the present shenanigans related to the tortured teen at a West Demerara Police Station. My fourth example is a rather troubling matter: a petite young lady living alone with a three-year-old child now lives in virtual terror of what can happen next. Ms Michelle Baldeo (not Basdeo) returned to her home to find there was a break and enter by the police. I spoke with her and she described how boot marks were on her bed linen. She was not at home when her place of abode was crudely entered. According to a media report, the Crime Chief said that search warrants were routinely executed. The first question is, on whom was a search warrant served? Ms Baldeo’s house was unoccupied at the time. Second, did the police at that time have a search warrant?
Third, we are told it was a mistake. If this is true, it is a serious indictment of our police intelligence. Are we to understand that no officer took the trouble to double check before such rash action to break into a house that was secured? Or is it that certain ranks feel immune and can act with abandon knowing full well that they have the support of some big ones, or more importantly, are we drifting inexorably towards a police state?
Today, it is Ms Michelle Baldeo, tomorrow it could be any decent law-abiding citizen and their family, so where are the voices of our religious and civil leaders? Our bishops et al?
Finally, my personal experience at the CID Headquarters is still fresh in my mind. Recall I was persuaded by a senior CID Officer to drop in at CID Headquarters to assist with their investigation related to a statement made by Oliver Hinckson at a City Hall press briefing.
I explained what took place and what I understood Mr Hinckson to have said and lo and behold, minutes after in the presence of a senior officer a CID corporal read from a notebook what he recorded I had said.
Unbelievably it was a total fabrication; the statement read from the notebook mentioned, inter alia, three names which were not even in my thoughts – Jagdeo, Bartica and Lusignan. I could not believe my ears, and immediately protested and following this posted a letter to the Commissioner of Police. To the best of my knowledge, nothing came out of this calumny. Was the corporal asked to explain?
If this can happen to someone in public life for over fifty years, what about other folks?
Recall, I had offered to submit to a lie detector test. If this corporal, a writer of fiction not fact, were to be promoted, it would suggest that the top brass of the force accepted this kind of behaviour as standard and acceptable. Where are we going? Or are we comfortable with a cadre of morally depraved people in uniform? Decent police ranks should protest, since the evil deeds of these few are giving the whole force a bad name.
Speaking with Ms Baldeo, the only saving grace is she was loud in her praise of the Commander of ‘A’ Division, GeorgeVyphuis, and some other ranks who interviewed her. She described them as highly professional, gracious and sympathetic.
The Minister of Home Affairs is a prolific writer. We took forward anxiously to hear from him about what action not rhetoric will be taken in each of the instances above, and what assurance he will give that citizens are insulated from such illegality and barbarity in the future.
Yours faithfully,
Hamilton Green
Mayor
