Dear Editor,
Page 16 of Stabroek News, Friday, December 8, 2023 carried an article under the caption, “Jermain Grant gets, ‘Best Cop ‘ award for Region Three”. There was also a photograph of Assistant Commis-sioner Ravindradat Budhram presenting the Best Cop trophy to Assistant Super-intendent Jermaine Grant. The Stabroek News inaccurately refer to Assistant Commissioner, Budhram as Deputy Commissioner. I will address that issue later in my letter. The article stated that Regional Traffic Officer, Assistant Superintendent Maniram Jagnanan was adjudged as the Runner-Up Best Cop in the Region for 2023. The release indicated that Jagnanan has been instrumental in spearheading numerous traffic enforcement exercises in the Region with positive results.
Editor, please permit me to make a few remarks on the missive. I am always pleased when members of the Guyana Police Force are awarded for outstanding work done. I have no issue with the Best Cop, but I am not certain what yardstick the police used to measure the performance of Maniram Jagnanan leading up to awarding him the Runner-Up Best Cop position. His enforcement exercises alluded to above did not bear fruit. Recent statistics posited by the Commander of Division and Jaganan himself revealed that there is a comparative increase of fatal accidents by close to 300 %. The figure should have been much higher as the police without justification, classified some fatal accidents as fatal incidents. This is a clear case of ‘ghosting’ or falsifying figures to “make the numbers come out right.”
The roads in that division are considered the most deadly in Guyana. Despite these startling data the Traffic Officer received the Runner-Up Best Cop award for the division. Maybe, Dr. Lawrence Peter is smiling in his grave in Canada as the Peter Principles – Promoting Incom-petence is actively at work in Regional Police Division No 3 and elsewhere in the Guyana Police Force.
Back to the Deputy Commissioner of Police issue. For the records, let me be pellucid, there is only one Deputy Com-missioner of Police in the Guyana Police Force. He is Dr. Paul Williams. Instead of utilising the expertise of Dr. Williams, Deputy Commissioner of Police in the Police Force, the movers and shakers of the Force banished him to the Civil Defence Commission. Also a Senior Superintendent and a Superintendent are among other police ranks attached to that Commission which is headed by a competent retired army Colonel. What a waste of the professional human resource of the GPF. Some Assistant Commissioners are masquerading as Deputy Commissioners.
This is what Article 211(1) of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana states, “the Commissioner of Police and every Deputy Commissioner of Police shall be appointed by the President acting after meaningful consultation with the Leader of the Opposition and Chair-person of the Police Service Commission after the Chairperson has consulted with other members of the Commission.” The same applies for the appointment of an acting Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner. Currently, there are vacancies for three Deputy Commissioners. The ball is in the President’s court to appoint Deputy Commissioners or acting Deputy Com-missioners. However, the President is grappling with a dilemma. A number of the pretenders for the positions of Deputy Commissioners are of questionable character and marginal performers. The President will have to play the ball carefully and correctly. He cannot afford to hit across the line. He is not a Vivian Richards. May God help the Guyana Police Force.
Sincerely,
Clinton Conway
Assistant Commissioner of Police
(Ret’d)
