As the Guyana Police Force maintains zero tolerance of unprofessional conduct, a total of 30 ranks have been either dismissed from duty or transferred to other locations during last month.
This is according to Acting Commissioner of Police David Ramnarine, who told reporters during a press conference held on Friday that during the month of September 15 junior ranks—three subordinate officers and 12 constables—were dismissed for being involved in offences ranging from corrupt transactions, armed robberies, simple larceny and wounding.
As it relates to the other 15, he said actions were taken to either reassign or transfer them due to other misconduct.
“We didn’t lose them, they lost their way. They never conceptualized properly that they took an oath to serve and they must serve in a certain manner. They never understood that the public they chose to serve did not take an oath, but they did and wore a uniform,” the acting commissioner explained.
He added, “Well they are all either discharged by now or whoever remains will be dealt with shortly.”
Ramnarine related several instances were unprofessional conduct was carried out by ranks.
In one case, a police officer found a cellular phone belonging to a foreign dignitary and pocketed it rather than hand it over to the owner.
In another, he said just moments before speaking to reporters on Friday he saw a crime file where two constables who do not have six months’ service as yet were involved in cellphone theft. They will be charged with simple larceny in the new week.
“This is not to say that in the training environment we don’t make sufficient efforts to let them understand who they are, what’s their role in the organisation, what’s the organisation’s role in the community, what are the expectations of the society or what are their contributions to the image of the force and the country,” Ramnarine emphasized.