Keep up the good work, Mr. Ramjattan
Dear Editor, It was with much relief and appreciation that many people responded to the news that the Minister of Public Security, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, instructed that the policeman who tortured a youth by burning his genitals be fired. Now he should be prosecuted for justice to prevail. The last government should be ashamed for retaining such a rogue cop and, worst, promoting him. Congratulations, Mr. Ramjattan; keep up the good work. Our police force needs revamping in order to be effective. The police need to be proactive, rather than reactive, in order to serve and protect people. In this regard, they: 1. Should be provided with enough vehicles and radios to patrol and communicate with their workmates regularly. 2. There should be no excuses that they don’t have transportation and drivers (as happened in Region Two a few months ago). The police run driving classes, administer driving tests and issue licenses. Why can’t their own drive to crime scene. Every police officer should be a driver. The excuse the “Me alone in the station and can’t leave.” is also totally unacceptable. 3. Their curriculum, at training school, should include Tactical Communications (on how to speak to people and deescalate volatile situations), and how to deal with differently-abled people (with physical and mental issues.). Further, it should train them in proper investigative techniques (not the kerosene and match method), and educate them (some of the gifted ones, at least) on how to prosecute court cases so that conviction of guilty persons can increase. 4. The forensic lab should be equipped so that finger prints and other samples can be processed and used as evidence in courts. 5. The salary of police officers should increase and corrupt, rogue cops be purged from the system. 6. The name of the Guyana Police Force should be changed to the Guyana Police Service, as has happened in Belize and other jurisdictions, so that name and nature can be compatible. I know, Mr. Minister, that my above-mentioned suggestions, though not the panacea for law and order, will certainly help to make Guyana safer, which is what all of us want. Karan Chand