Dear Editor,
I perused the recent list of police sergeants promoted to inspectors by the Police Service Commission. I am both happy and sad. Happy that after much wrangling between the Police Service Commission and the Guyana Police Force the long overdue promotion was approved and made public. Perturbed that the date of promotion was given as May 26, 2016. According to Kaieteur News of May 29, “the staggered promotion was a result of the late submission of recommendation[s] by the Police Administration to the Police Service Commission.” Even if that was so, the promotion date should not have been staggered. The legitimate expected promotion date was January 1, 2016. That is the appointed date the last set of promoted assistant superintendents were given. Hence, the recently promoted inspectors who filled the vacancies created by the upward mobility of the assistant superintendents should have been given January 1, 2016 as their date of promotion. As it now stands those inspectors will lose some earnings for five months. I also discovered to my chagrin that there were no consequentials. I had expected to see the names of fifty-one corporals being promoted to the rank of sergeant to take the place of those who were elevated to inspector, and a corresponding number of lance
corporals and constables replacing the promoted corporals. Perhaps the promotion will be made in times to come. I hope that the date of appointment will be January 1, 2016 and not the date the promotion is announced, as is the current trend.
The relationship between the PSC and the GPF does not appear to be good. Therefore, ranks will suffer. Those two important bodies have been washing their dirty linen in public. One would have thought that by now they would have buried the hatchet. Maybe that was done, but apparently they left the handle exposed and somebody picked it up. The time is ripe for both parties to let better judgement prevail and to work in unison in the interest of members of the force and the country as a whole. To do otherwise will cause the ranks to lose money and other benefits which may create an environment for them to become demotivated.
The motivational theories of Maslow, Herzberg, Skinner, Vroom, and Morse and Lorsch reveal that monetary reward is not the main stimulant for motivation to take place, but that it is a very important and necessary one.
Over the past months the police performance has been remarkable. The green shoots are now bearing fruit as I had predicted. The morale of members of the force is excellent. It must be kept that way. Napoleon observed, referring to his army: “An army’s effectiveness depends on its size, training, experience and morale … and morale is worth more than all the other factors combined.” This may be applicable to the Guyana Police Force. To keep levels of motivation and morale high, the police must be given recognition and awarded for outstanding work. What about a stimulus package for the police?
Whenever there is evidence that the police take bribes or are engaged in other inappropriate behaviour they are dealt with condignly. On the other hand, they must be rewarded for top class performance.
Permit me to repeat what I wrote a few weeks ago in a letter to the editor. Hammer the police whenever they transgress, but please, give them their just reward, however infinitesimal it may be.
Let justice and fair play prevail in the GPF.
Yours faithfully,
Clinton Conway
Assistant Commissioner
of Police (rtd)
