Police officers have been visiting schools on the East Coast and the East Bank of Demerara, to gather information pertaining to teachers’ attendance in the wake of the strike called by the GTU.
Yesterday, this newspaper spotted officers, dressed in full uniform complete with bulletproof vests and guns on their hips, entering the premises of St Paul’s Primary and Beterverwagting Secondary Schools.
As a reporter from this newspaper entered the head teacher’s office of one of these schools, an officer was overheard asking questions pertaining to teachers’ attendance and absence. This officer then followed his question by assuring the head teacher that “it’s nothing to be worried about, it’s just pertaining to the children well-being”. On the East Bank, this newspaper noticed a police vehicle patrolling the area and was later reliably informed that officers had visited Diamond Primary school with the same motive.
Upon visiting other schools along the East Coast yesterday, sources indicated to Stabroek News that the uniformed officers have been visiting the schools every day, since Monday, to solicit information about teachers’ attendance. According to reports, some were provided with the information they required whilst others directed the officers to the Education Department of their district.
Some teachers have expressed fear about the presence of police officers at their schools. One such teacher noted that she found it strange that the police are visiting schools when there was no legitimate reason for their presence.
“I could understand if there was a criminal matter or a police incident but there isn’t,” the teacher noted.
When contacted, Commander for ‘B’ division Khrishna Ramana initially stated, “I don’t know where you’re getting that information from”. However, when SN related to him that the information was from its own observation, Ramana questioned brusquely, “Why you didn’t ask them what they were doing there?”
After reminding him that he was speaking with a reporter from SN, the Commander eventually stated that “police are visiting the schools to see if there are any protests going on because of the strike”. When told that that was not what was observed, Ramana eventually said that he had no comment on the issue.
Meanwhile, calls to the commander for ‘C’ Division went unanswered. Stabroek News then ventured to call Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken on the issue but he noted that he wasn’t aware of what was happening.
“I don’t know anything about that,” Hicken said.
When the GTU industrial action commenced on Monday, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) had stated that it had received calls relative to the strike indicating that persons are being intimidated and threatened. The GPF then noted that the reports were taken seriously and the alleged threats would’ve been investigated. As a result, there has been a high police presence on the scene at Brickdam, and a mobile patrol monitored the protest.
