Dear Editor,
Crime has been in the world from earliest times but there should be continuous efforts in every society to control it by implementing effective laws and inflicting severe penalties on those who blatantly violate these ordinances.
A police force is indispensible in every country; there are a few instances where there is this establishment without a standing army. Costa Rica and Switzerland do not have regular armies, only police. Guyana needs and must continue to have a force that lives up to the motto: ‘Service and Protection.’
Many Guyanese distrust policemen. All policemen are not the same; some are professional and dedicated, others are incompetent and corrupt. We must admit that police are human and face many challenges personally and within the performance of their legitimate duties.
Over the years there has been a breakdown in law, order, discipline, morals, the fear of God and respect for the accepted norms of civilized society. Since there are causal factors to any social phenomenon, we must ascribe these deteriorating circumstances to racial and power politics, too many single parent families, a decline in religious observances, unemployment, a culture of corruption as a concomitant of low wages and salaries, high cost of living, extravagant living resulting in need and poverty.
To have a force with some ethics and integrity there is need to improve pay and conditions. There should be provision to compensate adequately policemen injured or killed in the line of duty. The recruitment process should be rigid: proof of good character, reasonably high achievement in education (well-rounded personality). On-the-job training should be holistic ‒ seminars, workshops, advanced training and communication skills to foster good public relations. Rogue policemen must be dealt with condignly for brutality to prisoners and execution-style killings.
Finally, in these advanced scientific and technology days, the police should be well equipped with modern weapons and reliable apparatus to help detect and solve crimes. The force needs more manpower to deal fully with offences. No one should be above the law and our courts of justice should be well staffed with magistrates and judges to deal with cases expeditiously. Penalties should serve as a deterrent. The debate on the death penalty should be nationally promoted because Guyana and a couple of other Caricom states have a high murder rate per capita. The proliferation of narcotics and illegal guns causes excessive violence.
Yours faithfully,
Malcolm Maynard
