Callous behaviour by policewoman at MoPH

Dear Editor,

Please oblige me space in your newspaper to bring to the attention of the Guyana Police Force  an incident that took place on the 3rd day of May, 2018 at the Ministry of Public Health’s (MoPH) Head Office (Lot 1 Brickdam).

An incident which if not addressed immediately could bring a higher degree of embarrassment to the police force by those who have taken an oath to “Serve and Protect” the people of this country.

Editor, it is important to note, that I have witnessed something of a similar nature, by this very sergeant prior to what took place on the 3rd. It was not as bad as what happened on the 3rd however. This, was more profound and it seems to be a permanent behaviour of the person of whom I speak.

On the mentioned day, I witnessed cruel and inhumane treatment administered to a citizen, a taxpayer and moreso, an elderly woman, by the sergeant who runs that location. A woman I believe who is old enough to be her mother.

Now, the ministry has two gates from the Brickdam entrance. One of which is to be used by pedestrians and the other one is for the ministry’s vehicles. The pedestrian’s entrance is not seen by people many times and that may be because of the way it is situated.

The elderly woman travelled from wherever, in a western direction to the Ministry and may have only spotted the gate used by the vehicles and decided to make her entry there. She was already in the compound and just as she was about to pass the security hut, she was greeted with a very loud voice. The loudest voice she would probably hear on earth. A voice which may have given her an instant headache given her age. The words that hit her like a stereo set were, “Hello! Get back through that gate and use the other gate”. The loudness and force with which those words stormed through that woman’s ears that morning, I had no reason to doubt, that she would have thought twice to disobey. She, immediately carried out that demand! That harsh demand!

You think it finished there? No! Think again. She then turned her attention to the rank who was controlling the gate (it’s an automatic gate). “What I told y’all about not paying attention to the gate eh? Y’all don’t piss me off this morning…”

Editor, it is not really a big issue if persons use that gate though they would be on the safer side if they use the gate built for them. What I have witnessed a few times from the previous sergeant, she used to kindly ask the pedestrians to use the other gate next time if they had happened to already make their way into the compound. That approach, is one which much be given a pat on the back.

The behaviour by the present police sergeant was completely unacceptable.

Yours faithfully,

(Name and address supplied)