Citizens should support the call for assistance for the families of Fallen Heroes

Dear Editor

Congratulations to Mr Seelall Persaud, Commis-sioner of Police for launching the Guyana Police Force Fallen Heroes Foundation Inc. KN of November 5, 2015 carried an article on the launch, and the following day SN reported on the event. Any effort to assist the families of Fallen Heroes should be publicized and supported, as the job of policemen is extremely stressful and sometimes deadly.

When officers receive a call to proceed to an armed robbery in progress, a domestic disturbance involving a shooting, a murder, or an accident involving deaths, it is traumatic. Officers know their lives may be in danger, often at the most unexpected times.

A quick analysis of the police records revealed that between 2002 and to date 43 policemen were killed in the line of duty. No rank was killed in 2005, 2009 and 2011. The deadliest year was 2002 with13 deaths followed by 9 in 2003. That was the time when Commissioner of Police Floyd McDonald was forced to pay tribute to his men instead of giving them awards. An average of 4 policemen were killed in the line of duty each year. Over the past five years an average of 2 policemen were killed each year in the line of duty. That is 1 policeman killed every 6 months. Numerous family lives were shattered leaving damaging emotional scars, a phenomenon identified as afterburn. For a small police force like the GPF, the figure is alarming. Perhaps, the GPF can do an analysis of policemen killed in the line of duty over a period of time, looking at trend, pattern, spree, series and hotspot. This may enable them to design, develop and implement a strategic course of action to prevent their most precious resource from being killed in the line of duty.

During 1996 in closing a course for Supervisors at the Felix Austin Police College, Commissioner of Police Laurie Lewis said, “Whenever a policeman leaves his home to go and perform duty it is not a guarantee that he will return home alive.” Less than six hours after he made that statement unknown gunmen riddled constable 16418 Adrian Williams called Big Six with bullets at West Ruimveldt. He was on duty responding to a report of domestic violence. He died on the spot. He was the only child for his mother. He had less than a year’s service in the GPF. The financial assistance available for his mother was a mere pittance. It was calculated on the rate payable to dependants of the policemen killed during the 1969 Rupununi Uprising. Inflation and other economic factors were not considered. Commissioner Lewis skilfully surmounted the hurdles. He obtained adequate funds for the bereaved mother of the murdered policeman. With the assistance of members of the business community Commissioner Lewis established what is known as the Benevolent Fund to provide finance assistance for funeral arrangements for dependants of members of the GPF who died while serving. This fund is still operating. Later I asked the Commissioner not to utter those words again knowing fully well that no matter how routine the assignment might seem, a police officer’s life is often at risk. Death lurks around the next corner.

The Fund launched by the Commissioner Seelall Persaud is an excellent one. I am assured that there are written policies detailing how to notify family in case of death, assist with funeral arrangements and most important, help family complete paperwork required to receive benefits and provide continuing support to survivors. It has some similarities to one established in the United States of America called Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB), which was designed to offer peace of mind to men and women seeking careers in public safety and to a make strong statement about the value American society places on the contribution of those who serve their communities in potentially dangerous circumstances. We saw the outpouring of support for the family of Guyanese born Randolph Holder, a NYPD rank who was recently killed in the line of duty in the USA. The programme awards death, disability and education assistance benefits to survivors.

There is another source called Concern of Police Survivors (COPS) Inc, a national support group funded in 1984 for spouses and children of officers killed in the line of duty. Its mission is to provide resources to assist in rebuilding the lives of families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. We can take a page out of the Americans’ book.

I hasten to make a clarion call to all peace-loving citizens including members of the business community and the government to support the call for assistance not only to the survivors of Fallen Heroes, but also those permanently disabled in the line of duty. Remember, policemen took an oath to serve the state of Guyana without favour or affection, malice or ill will and to cause the public peace to be kept and preserved by preventing to the utmost of their powers all offences against the same. Let us continue to support them even after death.

Yours faithfully,
Clinton Conway