Dear Editor,
On Sunday August 13th as my family and I were heading on to the West Bank Demerara we were pulled over by a traffic rank who is attached to a police station (name supplied). As the officer approached our vehicle he asked for licence and registration, and after checking all the documents, he questioned us about the colour of the car. After realizing everything was in order and he had no reason to charge us, he moved to the tint on our vehicle. He began asking about a tint permit, and I explained to him the kind of work I do which he didn’t seem to care about. As I did not try to bribe him, he had us waiting there until all other vehicles which were heavily tinted, were playing loud music or had expired documents had left, and then we were told to proceed to the police station.
In the station, where I had to bring my seven-month-old baby and crying four-year-old, I explained to the corporal in charge the kind of job I do with the media, but he just stood there gawking. This officer has a red car which is heavily tinted and has his name on it, and it was parked at the station at the time. Nevertheless, he wanted to charge us for breaking the law. I asked him to whom the red car belonged, to which he replied that he didn’t know and didn’t care!
As it seemed we were getting nowhere I decided to remove my tint and hand it to him, and I was charged for doing the very same thing he is doing without consequences. I left him and his friends sitting under a shed chatting, and as I looked around this station I saw several tinted vehicles owned by police officers.
These officers supposed to enforce the law but are doing the exact opposite, but who is to charge them? Aren’t they supposed to give a citizen a first-time warning or are the police above the law?
If I had bribed him I could have gone on my way.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
