Serving and protecting the nation
THERE are calls for elections – both local and general — but the opposition are so hungry for power and to get their hands on the national exchequer that every decent-minded Guyanese is fearful of the repercussions when the results are not favourable to the joint opposition, given the historical rampages in Guyana when the PNC and its allies in the GHRA and like-minded NGOs, now the PNC/WPA/AFC combo, do not get the results they want.
Through unleashing their ‘Dogs of War’ upon the nation, illogically cutting national budgetary allocations for vital transformative projects and programmes meant to enhance the lives and lifestyles of the people in the country, and their current non-support of the vital CFATF-compliant Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terror Bill, the opposition have shown that they would destroy the country to get their own way. This has been proven so many times that it would take volumes to document.
However, it is hoped that if the joint opposition ever again initiate and unleash another rampage in the country, the police would not hesitate to fulfill their designated mandate to protect and serve the law-abiding citizens of this land.
No one would argue that police ranks have let the people of this nation down time and again, but equally true is the fact that police have come through brilliantly for this nation, even at the risk of their own lives, when anarchy and mayhem prevailed, with criminals running amok and slaughtering innocents in the land.
The demise under fire of Rondell “Fineman” Rawlins, Lindon “Blackie” London and many others of their ilk and their gangs has written in the annals of the history of Guyana’s Police Force that there are indeed heroes in their ranks; and the fact that there are also rogues and villains should not obviate the fact that many of those heroes have sacrificed their lives to protect this nation.
When ranks come under fire and they fire in return, they are often criticized and condemned, especially by those who have nefarious agendas that are inimical to the welfare of the nation. Yet, when police are killed in the line of duty, there often is silence on the part of the critics.
It has been proven, time and again, that most of the crimes — especially armed robberies, some of which ensued in the victims being murdered or injured — have been committed by very young men who have been led astray by so-called leaders and even their own family members, who have come to enjoy the booty from the daily robberies being committed on helpless and hapless victims throughout the land.
So if police ranks see young men acting suspiciously, they are within their mandate to ensure that these young men are not among the bands of predators preying on victims countrywide; and this was the consideration that precipitated two unfortunate incidents that brought the police under fire of recent times.
And while one should indeed criticize the unprofessional conduct of the ranks that led to the recent unfortunate deaths of two young men in the prime of their lives, the context in which the police acted must also be taken into account.
Opportunistic politicians have egged on their supporters into a confrontational mode with the police force, and while dedicated officers are not prepared to compromise their professional integrity and heed “kith and kin” calls for the joint services to lead this country once more into destruction, their inflammatory rhetoric has created unendurable situations where the upholders of law and order were themselves several times subjected to assault by criminal elements in situations where they were unable to defend themselves against assault, i.e. in Linden and Agricola recently.
It is untenable that this state of affairs continues, because it will eventually lead to anarchy in the land, which is the intention of the joint opposition, which have stated ad nauseum – jointly and collectively – their intention to destabilize and bring down the successive PPP/C administrations through, in AFC Chairman Nigel Hughes’s words “mass demonstrations”. He said himself that they do not want peace.
Under former CoP, the late Laurie Lewis’s tenure, the force had embarked on a campaign countrywide to engage youths in the country into engaging in meaningful pursuits, and late CoP Henry Greene was a patron of the Scouts movement and several sporting disciplines.
The Tiger Bay initiative, begun under Laurie Lewis, is one shining example of how police and communities can work together to develop youthful minds in productive directions.
The Agricola initiative, which began a couple of years ago, is another such, and young Shaquille Grant was a product of that initiative, with a bright future earmarked through serving in Guyana’s disciplined services. As the then Acting Commissioner of Police said, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, because eyewitnesses who are too afraid to come forward initially attested to the police coming under fire, which they returned; but their mistake was in using excessive force in arresting the young men involved in that unfortunate incident in which Shaquille tragically lost his life.
Former Commissioner of Police Mr. Leroy Brummell had adjured members of the GPF as they gathered a couple of years ago to be rewarded for their performances at the conclusion of a GPF-organised shooting competition, “The job of the Guyana Police Force is to serve each and every (resident) of the country and ensure that (each resident is) protected. The police (Force) also has the task (of) offering and ensuring that it provides lawful support to the government of the day, again without favour and/or ill-will.”
In his remarks, Brummel alluded to the gap existing in relations between the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and members of the public, which he said must be bridged, opining that the only possible way this can be achieved is when police officers approach issues they confront in a professional manner.
He told his ranks that they need to be strong, and show determination in confronting situations. He said that, as Commissioner of Police and head of the Force, he would continue to be strong, emphasizing that he would not be like other persons who tendered their resignations and buckled under pressure in the face of hardship.
He said the way persons deal with adversities determines their worth. He told officers that as long as he was strong, he wanted the rest of them to remain strong and resolute to fight situations that arise.
He commended police ranks for exercising great restraint and displaying true professionalism in the face of taunts and acts of provocation during protest actions at Agricola; and he reminded his ranks that a duly constituted Commission of Inquiry was currently looking into the issues of July in Linden, and stated his conviction that the Linden Commission of Inquiry was taking note of the situation that unfolded in Agricola.
The words of Acting Commissioner of Police Leroy Brummell provided reassurance to the citizens of Guyana, who traditionally come under attack by criminals unleashed by the intellectual authors of the intermittent rampages of their supporters against a hapless populace continually held ransom to political opportunism.
Today the Guyana Police Force is under new administration, and the new Commissioner of Police, Mr. Seelall Persaud, has also given his assurance to the people that he will guide the Force in accordance with protocols conducive for fostering trust for the police within the populace, demonstrating this commitment with the re-vitalized police engagements with the Albuoystown community.
It is to be hoped that this activity would not be a one-off exercise, but would extend to the entire country, so that whenever the ‘Dogs of War’ are unleashed against the people of this land in the future, they would never again find sanctuary in any community in the land, because the police would have demonstrated that engagements at community level, and not force, are the way they intend to serve and protect the nation.
Extracted from the Guyana Chronicle
