| With the number of ranks being placed before the courts within recent times, the Guyana Police Force is optimistic that the renewed confidence shown by the public in its internal investigating arm will continue.This is the view of the Guyana Police Public Relations Officer, Ivelaw Whittaker, in the wake of recent arrests of several ranks in a corruption probe.Last week, several ranks from a police mobile patrol were placed under close arrest after they attempted to collect a bribe from a drug suspect.It turned out that the drug suspect had informed the police that the ranks were ‘shaking him down.’A trap was set, and the ranks were caught in the act.Speaking with this newspaper on Saturday, Whittaker said that the public has been responding favourably to the call made by Police Commissioner Henry Greene to report police misconduct.At the police awards ceremony last December, Commissioner Greene had made an impassioned plea to members of the public to report illegal activities by members of the force.Greene had warned that persons who engaged in corrupting police officers through bribery for simple matters would end up in the same fate that befell officers who are found guilty.According to Greene, the situation had reached alarming proportions, and the police force will take condign action to deal with it.“We are here to give the public service and protection. Many of my senior officers are continuing to be disgusted at ranks who continue to molest people on the road for money, corruption, officers who continue to stretch their hands out and demand of people that, if they don’t want to go to court, pass X amount of money. I say to you we will continue to take condign action! Once they are caught, whoever the policemen are will be dealt with condignly,” the commissioner had warned.Several policemen have been placed before the courts for matters involving demanding money from persons, especially motorists, who commit traffic offences.In many cases, the persons from whom they demanded money reported them to the higher authorities.However, in other cases, the affected persons were reluctant to testify against errant officers.But a senior officer attached to the internal investigating arm of the force, the Office of Professional Responsibility, informed that there were several cases of police misconduct being investigated by the department.He added that 50% of the cases have been placed before the courts, and those who made the allegations in the first place have been cooperating with investigators.According to Greene, the police will continue to investigate its ranks with a view to returning some level of professionalism among ranks and recapturing the respect of the public, especially with regards to traffic offences.“I don’t understand why members of the public continue to do that. Why do you want to pay a policeman $50,000 because you are an unlicensed driver? You are stupid! Members of the public should not be paying policemen if they are caught with traffic offences,” Greene declared.“As a matter of fact, traffic offences are not even convictable, except in the case of causing death by dangerous driving. But many members of the public are encouraging this corruption…and then coming to me three days after to tell me that the cops are corrupt,” the commissioner said.The police have an established hotline through which persons can report any transgressions by police ranks. The ‘quick response hotline’ number is 225-6411,Stitched Canada NBA Jerseys, and action is guaranteed within 48 hours of a report.The public relations officer said that all matters will be treated with the strictest confidentiality. |
