-The Anniversary Broth: Too many (new) cooks?
Some years ago my column containing some of the following sentiments was titled, in part-creole, `Aftuh Gawd, is Police!’
The expression meant that no matter how the working-class society disparage the police service, whenever there was imminent or present criminal danger, after soliciting divine assistance from their heavenly creator (God) folks swiftly sought recourse to police expertise and personnel.
These days the rotten portion of our GPF attracts justifiably rigid media scrutiny, the ire and distrust of the society they once pledged to serve and protect. The rotten rogues could be of varied categories, Frankly Speaking. I recall now Ombudsman Winston Moore whilst once prosecuting a case in the Magistrates Court opining just how some young men choose the force as recruits just to plan and execute “runnings” against civilians when they hit the streets as traffic ranks, detectives or sometimes enforcers. (“Runnings” was the term Justice Moore used repeatedly.)
Well there are those types but also present are those cops who were conditioned, who succumbed whilst on the job – at Suddie, Springlands, Brickdam, Providence, East La Penitence – you name a location or station. The hinterland? Ha!
The “runnings” are always there. That’s because there are always citizens who decide that they need favours from the willing, the vulnerable or crooked cops. Traffic ranks are easily identified but accurate tales are told of police operatives – including female ranks – who take a consideration to make case files/jackets disappear or re-appear; who take a top up just so a detained person could sleep on cardboard or a piece of foam – instead of the concrete in the cells. I know of verifiable incidents of the latter at stations along the East Bank, Demerara.
It would be interesting for a senior journalist to interview the GPF’s Office of Professional Responsibility and the Police Complaints Authority with a view to learning about the modus operandi of those two entities; how effective they are in terms of identifying culprits and/or penalising errant ranks appropriately.
But who are our police?
I make a habit, of going back to late Commissioner Lloyd Barker’s observation decades ago: “The recruits I have to man the force very soon have come from the same imperfect society we have, they are products of society, determined and moulded by others.”
He had gone on to elaborate that the young men and women who applied to join were not the brightest as those shunned the high risks of policing for the low pay it offered.
Probably still true today. Good police knew of the relatively low pay when they joined. Increases are imminent but here is a group of government employees who deserve non-salary conditions like assisted, housing, scholarship and full medical assistance.
Good police deserve official and community support. (I sometimes get a pleasant thrill when hearing of good cops arresting and charging their own errant crooked colleagues; it gives one confidence, however temporary…) In October 2012 we saw good police running from mobs outside Agricola; today we see live scenes of community groups in conflict with the more aggressive young policemen. Many remedies have been proffered to improve police community relations. I won’t add more. But would ask all to contemplate the role of a police service in national life. If organised banditry and crime prevail in our homes, communities and businesses even the political managers could be helpless. To whom will we turn? Discuss…
The cost, the purpose of audits
The advent and presence of the APNU+AFC 2015 administration brought us an unprecedented number of audits and commissions of inquiry. Each of these numerous audits and inquiries had/have specific terms of reference to indicate their detailed and general objectives and purpose.
For the final time I mention my impatience over the brutal fact that no perpetrator identified as responsible for immense fraud (of national resources) has been prosecuted, except a lady minister and her assistant. I won’t even sympathise with the challenges the investigators might be facing to construct foolproof cases. I will, however, begin to smirk at the credibility of those high personages who promised us that the executive kleptomaniacs would be brought to justice on our behalf. (Ha!)
Now I noticed an observer writing to remind that the President did not promise prosecutions; only that the audits will be used to recommend measures to ensure that corruption, fraud and theft won’t recur under his watch. Huh? So President Granger wasn’t serious when he promised: “Those who do the crime must do the time?
Well I’m seeing the recommendations from a few of the audits. “Strong institutional commissions” to monitor integrity, no witch hunts, inclusivity, “social cohesion” will all trump prosecution? Okay. Congrats (you win) pre-May 2015 crooks. But I wonder: What’s the cost, of the dozens of audits and commissions you discuss and calculate the millions – from the ones for the prisons, the sugar sector, the public servants etc. etc. etc. (Worth it?)
Fiftieth’s new cooks
“Too many cooks spoil the broth” is an old proverb warning against an overload of personnel to execute a single event (the “broth”).
The fiftieth anniversary of Independence had, a very significant number of players and planners who could execute.
I recall asking the new commission co-chaired by both Senior and Junior Ministers in the Education Ministry to make timely announcements about the eventual Calendar of Events. Dr Rupert was eloquent in his silence. The Culture Minister, an academic from the GDF, essayed to guide the Anniversary Celebrations ship. From a position of just a little “inside knowledge” I’ll offer this: there were too many unnecessary cooks! Those with experience had to give way – too much- to the newer kids on the APNU+AFC block. (AFC?)
One last-lick: I’m told that if any GDF personnel had planned last Saturday’s Presidential (“gala”) dinner they would have received real stiff punitive sentences! The GDF Officers’ dinners are genuine galas!
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Ponder…
The past Monday was Memorial Day in the USA – home to thousands upon thousands of Guyanese citizens.
It’s when America honours its war dead from the War of Independence, the Civil War, the World Wars, in Vietnam, Korea, now the Middle East.
President Obama and others were eloquent. America was/is defending America’s security and the world’s humanity, they said. What do you think? Is not a strong America good for the world? Discuss. President Granger has already declared a Defence Force Day here. What’s the role(s) of our Army?
’Til next week!
