Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn has called on female police ranks to be “hands on” and “more empathetic” when dealing with domestic and gender-based violence reports.
“We have a far way to go and a long way from where we should be in terms of the respect for women and in respect to the issue of domestic violence. We have a recurrent situation where the women complain that they go to the police stations and they are turned away and that even women police officers fall in with perhaps the agenda of the men and perhaps they don’t want things to work. They don’t want to get involved because it may be a family or a friend,” Benn said.
He was at the time addressing more than 100 policewomen from the various policing divisions during a meeting which was held on Tuesday at the Officers’ Training Centre, Camp Road, Georgetown.
In a press release, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) said that the meeting focused on how the ranks should deal with domestic violence (DV) and gender-based violence reports, how victims should be treated and the need for the right attitude and empathy to be displayed when dealing with these matters.
The release further stated that Benn said the issue of DV is oftentimes not taken seriously by the police.
To this end, he said there is a need for a change in the culture of policing. “We would like to have a new policing culture, a more diverse police force which represents all our cultures, religions, peoples, and ethnicities in the Guyana Police Force,” Benn said.
The changes, the release said, he noted must not be “overnight” but “step by step, day by day, month by month, year by year, improvements can be made.”
Benn also urged the ranks to be “champions” in these matters.
“That’s why you’re here. I had the feeling that the women police officers themselves really should be the champions in this matter – that if a woman or girl or a child is being treated improperly against what the Standing Orders require, that it helps that the women police step up and say no, that is not the way it should be done and policewomen should offer protection and support,” the release quoted Benn as saying.
He pointed out that workplaces should be safe for women while noting that sexual harassment and DV are “troubling” and a “danger” to women at large.
Also present at the meeting was Commissioner of Police (ag), Clifton Hicken who warned the policewomen that indiscipline and unprofessionalism will not be condoned.
The release said that Hicken reminded the ranks that despite the force’s zero tolerance policy, there is still a high level of deviation whenever reports are made at the stations.
“You’re all female ranks and you’re supposed to be championing (the fight against) domestic violence because most of the reports coming in, the victims are females. But instead of that, you’re exhibiting unprofessional behaviour and trying to settle matters,” Hicken said.
Since taking up office, Hicken has held separate meeting with various segments of the force. Over the past two weeks, he met with the Sergeants, Inspectors, Divisional Commanders, heads of department and branch commanders as well as junior officers.
