Dear Editor,
The focus of this letter is purely on the attitude of the police in Guyana towards alleged perpetrators of crimes—-crimes of every nature.
Police in any country have a motto which is to ‘serve and protect’ and at first glance a passer-by may want to believe that the Guyanese police do serve and protect. Let us look at the acquisition of two helicopters which are supposed to aid the Joint Services in the relentless fight against the criminal elements of the society. Only a few weeks ago a 21-year-old man was shot and killed at a police checkpoint on Middleton Street and no chase was given and so the bandits made good their escape. When asked why perhaps a chopper was not dispatched the Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon said that the choppers can’t be dispatched every time ‘tin cup knock’. This was the senseless shooting of a 21-year-old and this senior government official referred to it as ‘tin cup a knock’
We have not heard much about the role of the two helicopters in the search for `Fineman’ following his escape from the hideout. I am sure that Dr Luncheon would want more `tin cups to knock’ than those that were knocked at Lusignan and Bartica.
On Saturday June 10, 2008 there was a robbery at Adelphi Village, East Canje Berbice. On Sunday and Monday, June 11 and 12 respectively, some men were arrested. I will not even go into the details of the robbery because it will take away from the attitude of the Police towards these ‘suspects’. Men were thrown into the police vehicle (a pick-up) and had their bicycle thrown on top of them and these uniformed men (let us not forget their motto—-serve and protect) sat and rested their feet on the men. I visited one at the New Amsterdam Police station today and he showed me swellings and bruises on his body, claiming that he was beaten by the police. Are these men criminals? What happened to their right to a trial? Why are the police so quick to judge and punish? I wonder who are the real criminals here?
I was approached by the uncle of one of the men arrested and he was pleading with me to have something done. What is there to do? File an action against the police——it will take years to be heard—-that is the way our courts are structured.
It would seem as though the training that our police officers receive emphasizes the need for brutality.
Maybe they will be able to arrest ‘Fineman’—- before the end of this century.
Yours faithfully,
Charrandass Persaud
Attorney-at-Law
