By Cathy Richards
Residents of Linden complained of not getting “a fair chance” from police ranks in the area when they met with head of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) former Chancellor Cecil Kennard at a hearing in the town, Wednesday.
Despite a very poor turnout, those in attendance were very vocal on the issues of concern to them. It was only Kennard’s second visit to Linden since he assumed the Chairmanship of the PCA. During his first visit, residents complained that police were in the habit of not taking their reports and, where they did take them, not investigating them properly. Some persons had problems with the attitude of some policemen when they go to the police station, claiming that ranks were often hostile and showed a lack of courtesy to persons.
According to Kennard, a parliamentary special select committee is currently working on a proposal which comprises two recommendations on possible systems that could be employed to accommodate a more effective complaint system, especially for outlying areas.
The session took the form of a one-on-one meeting because after a wait for more than an hour, only six persons, including media operatives, had turned up at the Linmine Constabulary Recreational Hall for what was designed to be an open meeting. Kennard said that despite yesterday’s turn out, he would meet with police to discuss a number of issues. “I intend to discuss issues raised here today and also my concerns about police behaviour in general in the country,” he said. He cited a lack of courtesy and a failure to address reports properly. “…The traffic ranks in the country seems to have a very bad name,” Kennard added, saying, “A lot of allegations are being made of corruption.”
One resident of Central Amelia’s Ward testified of the poor response by police as recent as last Friday, which resulted in him receiving several stab wounds about his body. In relating the incident, the man said that following an incident involving the Central Amelia’s Ward Community Group and a civilian earlier this year, his home has been targeted by neighbours. “Since this issue, they have been pelting down my house with all sorts of things and does even shoot at deh house with sling shot,” complained the man. On Friday last, the matter was reported to the Mackenzie Police Station after he positively identified an assailant but no rank turned up at the scene as promised. The following night the man’s home was once again attacked. “Well it was overbearing now for me and I went out to deh guy and he pulled a cutlass on me and I pick up a wood to defend myself and a scuffle between us started,” he recounted.
During the fight, the man said that a female who claimed to be the assailant’s mother, pounced on him and dealt him two stab wounds to his back and one over the left eye. “Dah is when deh police come and arrest deh man and a think they put he on bail and send he home on Sunday night.
The same night he gan pelting and shooting my place again and they had to come back and arrest and is now I getting lil peace. When dah done now, they ain’t giving me no proper answer on how deh gon deal with the case they just gat me coming and going and pushing me around and that’s not nice man,” he related.
As a result of the issues, the man said that he was forced discontinue visitation to his home by his two sons, ages four and six, since he feared for their safety. Additionally, he expressed concerns for the safety of his three-year-old daughter and his pregnant wife. “Now look at me, I am a operator and I can’t use meh hand how meh family gon live now dat I can’t wuk cause I can’t use my hand,” he added.
Untimely response was the complaint of another man who also hails from Central Amelia’s Ward at Mackenzie and Wisroc at Wismar. In the case of the Amelia’s Ward resident, it was noted that on many occasions reports of stolen property were made to the Mackenzie Police Station.
He said that in one instance, they were able to confront a taxi driver who had transported some materials that were stolen from his property. “Deh taxi man give them the address and the names of the people and they never move on the matter till dis day. I keep losing and that is not fair I ain‘t gat no place else to go is right here I born and grow and is right here I intend to stay but something gat to be done about these police here. We ain’t getting a fair chance with deh police here,” he said. He added that whenever they take the matter to the media, ranks would victimise them for doing so. “You gon see what is going to happen after today is more blows for we,” he said.
Another man claimed that sometime during the latter part of February, he was attacked and robbed by two gun-toting bandits and to date he has had no recourse. He said that the night in question, he went to the Wismar Police Station to file a report, since he could have positively identified one of the bandits. “When I went to deh station, deh whole place was locked up tightly and deh police was sleeping and they ain’t get up or open up to me,” he explained.
He said that the following day, he went to the Mackenzie Police Station and was redirected back to Wismar. “Every time I go deh seh nobody ain’t deh to take me statement and I eventually get fed up and stop going,” stammered the man.
