Dear Editor,
The Police Association of the Guyana Police Force wishes to let the public know that it takes umbrage at aspects of a press release issued by the Central Corentyne and Berbice Chambers of Commerce on 28th April, 2016.
The Police Association which represents the largest number of ranks in the Guyana Police Force from Chief Inspector to Constable sees the members of the Chambers as ungrateful and an irresponsible body.
The Association wishes to bring to the attention of the public that the Vanderbilt University in its Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) Report which was published in 2014 stated that the study conducted in Guyana indicated that the Guyana Police Force was the least trusted organization in the country. In addition former Commissioner of Police Mr Leroy Brumell, in his retirement address in March 2014 indicated that morale in the Police Force was low to the extent that members of the Force did not feel proud wearing their uniforms in public any longer.
Today, this has all changed in a very positive way and certainly Minister Khemraj Ramjattan’s initiatives have contributed significantly to this current development. Policemen and women are now proud to wear their uniforms. This is reflected in their prompt response to crime. They are building public trust to the extent that serious crimes in the country have been reduced by 16%. Gun related robberies in Berbice, specifically, have been reduced by 9%, while robberies using other instruments have been reduced by 40% and robberies with violence by 60%.
The Chamber needs to answer how the Guyana Police Force with low morale still responds and confronts all criminal activities in society; how they are able to solve the many high profile crimes within two to three days of occurrence; and how we are involved in so many partnership programmes with civil society across Guyana.
It should be noted while several contributions were made by the private sector and civil society organisations towards social and security arrangements all across Guyana, over the last five years the Central Corentyne and Berbice Chambers of Commerce have contributed nothing at all.
In trying to answer these questions one would see how ungrateful the members of the Berbice Chambers of Commerce are.
The fact is that the Guyana Police Force is now highly motivated and carries out its mandate in a professional manner.
Our members see their role in tackling crime as an effort towards crime prevention and the detection of crime, as well as the prosecution of criminals in a more efficient way. Our job is not to shoot down people, but we are trained to defend ourselves by using the force that is necessary.
The Guyana Police Association is calling on the Central Corentyne and Berbice Chambers of Commerce not to drag the Guyana Police Force into any political conflict, but to seek to give the Force meaningful support in its continuing efforts in the carrying out of its mandate to maintain public safety and security.
Yours faithfully,
Inspector Mohan Khan
Chairman
Guyana Police Association
