Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee yesterday called on a group of junior officers to take their oath of office seriously, charging them to have respect for human rights and to remember that they were servants and not masters of the people.
Rohee’s charge to the officers came in the wake of a number of serious allegations of misconduct being levelled against members of the force. At the moment, an investigation is being conducted into the torturing of two Buxtonian men and also the shooting to death of Donna Herod during a police operation in Buxton two weeks ago. There have been several other allegations of police using excessive force in the conduct of their duties.
Delivering the feature address at the opening ceremony of a junior officers’ course at the Police Officers Mess, Annex, Eve Leary, yesterday Rohee said that in his many travels around the country he has been bombarded with complaints of policemen being biased in the discharge of their duties. He said this seems to be the view of many citizens and as such, the officers must work on correcting it. Imploring the junior officers to uphold good conduct, Rohee said an unquestionable integrity was what was needed in their professional life.
“Be role models to your subordinates and also to the general public,” the Home Affairs Minister said.
The theme of the two-month training course is “Training for greater efficiency and effectiveness”. Its objectives are to provide participants with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes that will allow them to understand their roles as junior managers in the organization and also to develop managerial and operational capabilities to enable them to perform at a consistently high standard.
Twenty-five officers drawn from the Police Force, Guyana Defence Force, Guyana Prison Service, Guyana Fire Service and the City Constabulary are participating in the course. Lecturers will come from the University of Guyana, the Bar Association and the Private Sector.
Rohee told the gathering yesterday morning that the course was timely since it comes at a time when there seems to be an exodus of skilled personnel from the police service. According to the minister, officers on the course must be disciplined, adding that the junior officers are considered middle managers and they are a vital link between the senior officers and the lower ranks. “You are most times the first contact between the police force and the public, therefore it is important for you to demonstrate the kind of professionalism that will reflect good on the organization,” Rohee declared.
He said also that very often citizens approach police stations in their respective communities with high expectations that their concerns would be addressed, but when that is not fulfilled they leave with skewed views and perceptions of the force. Reminding the officers that it was their duty to be courteous and respectful to members of the public, Rohee said that anything contrary was what impacted negatively on the organization’s public image.
On the subject of training, the Home Affairs Minister said it was vital since many of the junior officers will one day have to take up senior positions in the force. According to Rohee, the officers must be trained so that they could adapt to change. He said that the officers must have an appreciation of the impact of crime, drugs trafficking and traffic lawlessness on the country’s economy so they can better carry out their roles and functions.
“You are servants and not masters and you must take your oath of office seriously,” Rohee declared.
Further, the minister called on the officers to be loyal to the organization they represent, saying that there was no place for disloyalty in the force. He said that junior officers must also be good examples in society and in the discharge of their duties they should strive to have a better appreciation for the diversity of cultures in society. He added that respect for human rights was also necessary, but insisted that this must be balanced with the police right to interrogate and question crime suspects.
The police have been criticized for their part in the alleged mistreatment of Patrick Sumner and Victor Jones, the two Buxtonians. The men alleged that they were taken to a place on the Soesdyke-Linden-Highway recently and beaten and burnt by soldiers and police. “I don’t believe human rights should be used for political ends
