Dear Editor,
On Sunday, November 19, 2017 about 2.30 pm I called my chauffeur to take me to Charity to meet with some friends. On my return trip home, I saw two young traffic cops standing by the junction next to a lorry opposite Shashie’s pharmacy. I knew that a campaign was on by ‘G’ Division for the holiday seasons to curb crime, and I was happy because this is a busy area with a lot of lawless minibus drivers speeding and making a sudden U turns on the public road. My chauffeur dropped me off at about 4 pm, and parked my car. I went upstairs and sat on my verandah watching my chauffeur ride out from my gate with his motorcycle for his home.
He was pulled over by the two young traffic policemen; I suspected they were asking him for his licence and fitness, and after a while I saw him walk back to my house a stone’s throw away. He asked me to borrow $ 5,000. I asked him what he would do with the money, and he told me that he was going to give it to the two policemen because they demanded it before he could be released, since he did not have his fitness with him at the time. He told the policemen to keep his motorcycle while he went to collect the fitness at Mainstay where he lives. One of them told him that he would let him go if he gave them $5,000, but he told them that he didn’t have the money on him and he would borrow it from a friend and bring it back.
He collected the money from me, and I saw him walk back and give it to one of the traffic policemen. From where I was sitting I could see everything that was taking place, because it was in the open air on the public road. When he reached home he gave me a call and told me what had transpired. These two policemen wanted $10,000, but he pleaded with them and said he didn’t have that kind of money on him, so they took the $5,000 and allowed him to go. This was happening in the full view of the public. These policemen did not realize that other people in their houses were seeing their actions, and this kind of behaviour does not augur well for the Guyana Police Force.
Residents welcome the campaign and they promise to cooperate with the Commander and the police force in curbing crime in the region.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
