Dear Editor,
There is a flagrant abuse and misuse of human resources being committed by the leadership of Regional Police Division 6. A few days ago, I visited New Amsterdam, Berbice and wandered around the Fun Park at Vryman’s Erven which is the brain child of the First Lady. The Fun Park is well fenced and secured. It is a beautiful environment. I saw persons enjoying themselves, celebrating a birth anniversary and some school children doing their homework there.
On duty at the facility was a private security guard, two half – month government workers, and believe it or not, two well-dressed female Neighbourhood Police ranks. I wondered what the Neighbourhood Police was doing there. I decided to investigate. My investigation reveal-ed that every day two unarmed female Neighbourhood Police are detailed and work at that location in shifts: 8 am to midday; midday to 4pm; 4 to 8pm and 8pm to midnight.
The gate for the Park is secured at 10 pm each night, thereby, preventing persons, including the security guards and Neighbourhood Police, access to the Park. They work outside of the Park after 10 pm. It is apposite to note that there is no security at the facility between midnight and 8 am. This is an ideal time for criminal activities. The ranks were not trained in self defence or unarmed combat. There is no guard hut at that location. At the conclusion of the 8 pm to midnight shift the female Neighbourhood ranks are required to walk over half a mile to the station to report off duty. Thereafter, they have to find their own means of transportation to get home.
I vividly remember the concept of Neighbourhood Police as I designed, developed, implemented and evaluated the four weeks training programme for them. Neighbourhood Police were specifically employed to work in their various neighbourhoods to support and ease the workload of regular members of the Force. Among their duties are to accept and deal with minor reports, serve summons, execute warrants, gathering intelligence and passing it to their handlers, foster excellent relationships between the police and members of the various communities which they serve and promote public confidence in the Guyana Police Force – not guarding a Fun Park as they are presently doing in Region 6 and possibly elsewhere.
I asked why they were performing the task of guarding the Fun Park alluded to above. The response I received is that it was the direct instruction from their Commander that they guard the facility from 8 am until 12 midnight each day as he does not want anyone to steal or damage the lights, unpainted tables, benches or pickets outside of that location. He does not want to answer to the First Lady for any damage to equipment or things stolen from her project. Politics playing out. Editor, if the job being done by the Neighbourhood Police at the Fun Park is not a complete waste of the police human resources and is contrary to the basic concept of Neighbourhood Policing, tell me what it is. I pray God help the police in Region 6 to make better use of their human resources particularly the Neighbourhood Police, but, I wonder if help will ever come as God helps those who help themselves. The police in that Region are not helping themselves.
Sincerely,
Clinton Conway
Assistant Commissioner of Police
(Ret’d)
