Dear Editor,
It is the second time I have been stopped by police patrol vehicles in two weeks while heading home aback the Providence Stadium. On the first occasion patrol ranks had set up an illegal roadblock demanding documents from drivers. Knowing that this roadblock was illegal, I refused to give up my documents and explained to the ranks that their actions were unauthorized, and questioned whether they were aware that senior police officers had pronounced these roadblocks illegal. I even mentioned the stir caused by Frederick Kissoon in his columns on these illegal roadblocks. The ranks accepted what I had said and immediately broke up the roadblock.
Just around 4pm on August 22, I was again on my way home when the driver of a police van heading towards me began flagging me down from a distance. I stopped and from the passenger side of the van, another rank shouted, “Let me see your documents.” I peered into the vehicle since I could not even see the rank asking for my documents. I later told that rank that I could not give him my documents because he was acting outside of procedure.
The policeman, (name provided) whose name I later learnt, immediately exited the police van, gun in hand. I concluded that he was the senior rank since the younger ranks with their guns, followed him and began surrounding my car.
By this time I am uncomfortable because I was travelling alone and the road had no other vehicles. It was just me and about four armed ranks. One rank said to me, “You are not above the law, and, “If you never give no police your documents, you gone give we today.”
I nonetheless held firm that the ranks were trampling on my rights. The whole ordeal ended, however, after I placed a call to Assistant Commissioner Clifton Hicken who referred me to Commander Stephen Mansell who spoke with officer from my cellphone. Mansell more than likely told them what they were doing was wrong because after the officer claimed he was checking for “guns or something” he handed back my phone and told me to carry on. But this was not before one of the younger ranks gave me, as we say in Guyana, ‘a royal buse-out’. The rank sucked his teeth in disgust and said “girl you stupid.” I said, “what?” and he replied, “you is a jackass” repeating that about three times. I was unable to see the licence plate number, but it was a PTT vehicle beginning with numbers 4 2, I believe.
Editor, indeed Perseverance housing scheme has had its share of break-ins and robberies, but this is no reason for police officers to flout the law themselves, especially when according to the officer, “Ya’ll get one set a break in at de back deh, and we trying fuh help y’all out.”
I have had many unfavourable run-ins with police ranks to the point where I was stopped (at another illegal roadblock) while heading to Timehri once, asked for my documents and when everything was straight, the rank still wanted me to “bless” him a $1000.
I have the utmost respect for police officers but this is too much. I believe it is time the police Traffic Department make a clear pronouncement on this matter and on the authority of those ranks who are authorized to stop and even search vehicles. Otherwise this bad habit by ranks will remain a negative shadow.
Yours faithfully,
Zena Henry
