Dear Editor,
This letter aims to highlight the injustice which occurred yesterday in the town of Mahdia, particularly at the place referred to as ‘the Arcade’.
At around 10am, ranks attached to Mahdia Police Station picked up and detained at the station, fifteen (15) Afro-Guyanese males. At the point of being picked up, these individuals were involved in daily activities ranging from business and gathering needs, to simple (yet in accordance with the COVID-19 guidelines) safe socialisation.
The individuals detained were told that their reason for being detained was basically to “have a word” with the officers and the folks reasonably cooperated and allowed themselves to be taken by the police van to the station. At the station, the detainees were asked to organise themselves in one line and provide the details of their names, dates of birth, and occupations respectively. Afterwards they were told to enter the station individually to have the information given inscribed on individual sheets of paper then return to the line. They were asked to enter the station once again for the sake of being photographed (it was not indicated to them that they were being profiled for crimes recently committed in the town).
Upon re-entering the building for such photography, the third individual observed that the words “Alleged Under-Arms Robbery” was written under his name and enlightened the others about such and when they had all taken their photographs, it became apparent that those particular words were written under the names of every one of the fifteen (15) individuals.
Collectively, the detainees began to question the officers about the crime they were unknowingly being linked to. The officers then informed the detainees that three armed robberies had recently occurred in the area and that they, the detainees, were being profiled for those crimes. The detainees then tried to reason with the officers using the fact that the officers knew all these individuals – what they do for a living, what they were found doing etc. The detainees further enquired about the victims of the robberies who were absent from the profiling process and therefore could not identify or assist the police in identifying the actual perpetrators of the crimes committed.
The officers, not moved by anything said by the detainees, proceeded to take the fingerprints of the detainees. After taking their prints, the officers started to talk about the curfew which they claimed was broken by the detainees. The officers were asked to clarify what the curfew time was to which the officers responded that they (to paraphrase) have the power to change the curfew and charge whomsoever they please at any time. The detainees were told not to ask any more questions.
By this time, 3pm, after standing in the sun except when called into the station and not having any food/water to consume, the detainees told the officers that they were hungry but they were told that there was nothing that could be given to them to eat or drink. The detective sergeant warned the detainees not to ask any more questions and informed them that he would talk to the Commander on their behalf, based on his character reference of them. He returned to say that the commander listened to him and was making his considerations. The time was about 4:00pm and nothing was manifesting along the lines of a release.
One detainee impatiently contacted his wife and explained everything to her and she came to the station. After the police officers were unable to relate to her the charges being given to the detainees, her husband included, she made a few phone calls after which the Commander’s phone rang. After ignoring the person attempting to contact him, he then ordered the detective sergeant to release the detainees because (to paraphrase) he had a feeling this would become a problem. Around 5pm the detainees were released but before that they were told to return to the station on the following day to paint the station building, to which the detainees protested.
It must be noted that the youngest detainee was about eighteen (18) years while the eldest about fifty-one (51) years old. Every aspect of the ordeal says a lot about a lot. Elders of Mahdia can recall and have related past events where we saw police brutality occurring in a rampant way across the country and it is generally known that Afro-Guyanese people happen to be affected by that level of injustice on a larger scale than any other group, locally and internationally. Is this the treatment to be expected from those in place to serve and protect us? I think not. Dear leaders, kindly look into this and every other issue resembling this with the approach you would take if it was a family member of yours that was subjected to this because that’s what Guyana is – One Family. In response to the allegations made by the former administration about Afro-Guyanese people having to be fearful of the return of the PPP/C government, the now Vice President, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo, of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana said that such should not occur along with other encouraging words. We respect such and all wise words, more so when they evolve into deeds which never regress. As our motto says, One People, One Nation, One Destiny.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address supplied)
