Dear Editor,
Dear Editor,
I have been a constant critic and an ardent advocate for radical police reform in Guyana. The testimony of senior police officials (to the Linden Commission of Inquiry) this past week and other recent events, have provided tangible evidence that the present system is at odds with the policing needs of Guyana, taking into account the geographic, economic and sociological changes that have taken place since the formation of the Guyana Police Force in 1891.
Often when we criticize the Police Force our main focus is on persons and their actions, but any Guyanese regardless of geographic location can recount stories of police brutality, police corruption and general behaviour unbecoming of peace officers. What are seldom analyzed and criticized are the ancient organizational structure, outdated and inefficient equipment, dysfunctional training, poor remuneration and poorly educated recruits. Individually, all of these deficiencies are challenges that would adversely affect the normal day to day functioning of a law enforcement agency, collectively they spell disaster.
It was difficult for me to listen to Senior Superintendent Hicken, a very senior police officer relate how seemingly inadequate his command authority was. If what Hicken said is even close to the truth; that a Divisional Commander must seemingly clear everything and get orders from (in a hot operational setting) the Commissioner of Police, who is not on scene and not appreciative of what is happening on the ground in real time, then this is no way to run a police force. Also if it is true that a unit when ordered by Police Headquarters in Georgetown to support a Division is not on arrival subordinate to that Divisional Commander, but instead remains autonomous and is still a part of the Division’s mission and an integral part of achieving that mission; one wonders at the lunacy of such an arrangement. T0 hear the Commissioner of Police relate that the Minister of Home Affairs is prone to breach the chain of command, giving orders to ranks without consulting or informing the Commissioner is illegal and frightening.
I was sympathetic with Senior Superintendent Hicken when he had difficulty explaining to the Commission the geography of E and F Division. A division that covers most of the hinterland of the country and several townships; an area larger than nearly all of the Caribbean Islands. Yet Mr. Hicken was not based at Mahdia or one of the hinterland locations or even at Linden. He was headquartered in Georgetown in A Division. This is in keeping with a colonial structure that was established over 100 years ago, when our hinterland was more sparsely inhabited and the economic activity there insignificant.
Today the economic activity, population increase and sociological changes that are taking place in what the police refer to as E and F Division are dynamic and constantly changing. In light of all of this it is an indictment on the Minister of Home Affairs that he has not seen fit to orchestrate the kind of reforms that are needed to bring this Police Force more in line with the policing needs of the country. One wonders why old antiquated systems like the current Divisional systems have not been replaced and the Force structure not aligned with the country’s Regional Administrative structure. Why has the Police Force not switched to 10 Regional Commands or Divisions within the present regional boundaries, with emphasis on recruitment from within the Regions and specialty training and equipment allocation to meet unique geographical needs?
One wonders why the Guyana Police Force is still in the business of issuing Passports and certifying drivers, clearly functions that can be farmed out to independent civilian agencies, like an Immigration Department and a Department of Motor Vehicles respectively. One wonders why in 2012 there is no automation that integrates information and makes it immediately accessible to the police officer on the street. One wonders why we still don’t have a modern crime lab and a modern state of the art crime information system and computerized police radio cars/vehicles. One wonders why according to Senior Superintendent Hicken; “tear smoke go with shotgun” for riot/ crowd control, and why the TSU unit sent to Linden did not have shields and gas masks as part of their stores.
Editor, it will be interesting to see what types of information we get from this commission of inquiry. As someone who has long criticized the management of this institution there is not much more that will surprise me, but then you never know. I would like for us to remember that the Guyana Police Force is not on trial. What is on trial is a corrupt and antiquated system that the political directorate in this country has allowed to fester so as to continue a corrupt system of governance. Police violence that continues to be a part of the modus operandi of this force, the several instances of senior officers allegedly with allegiances to criminal elements of society; the daily shake-down by traffic ranks and members of the anti-narcotics and rapid response squads; the lack of confidence of the public in the Guyana Police Force to be a fair broker, to protect and serve, to uphold the law, is a direct indictment on the leadership, training and administration of the police force. When an Assistant Superintendent of police does not know the difference between lobbied and lobbed or hurdled and hurled, and a Senior Superintendent wants us to believe that shot guns and semi–automatic rifles are not deadly weapons, then it is way past the time for us to hit the reset button.
Yours faithfully,
Mark Archer
