The Guyana Police Force is charged with protecting the people of this country. Yet today, many Guyanese feel that they have more to fear fromthe policethan from the criminals. That is a devastating indictment on the state of policing in Guyana.
When a person is taken into police custody, the State assumes responsibility for that person’s safety. No family should have to fear that their loved one will enter a police station alive and leave dead. No Guyanese should have to wonder whether the institution entrusted with upholding the law will itself act outside of it.
Public confidence cannot be restored when official police statements are repeatedly contradicted by information that subsequently comes to light. There is much talk about leaks. But let us also ask why people feel compelled to bring information into the public domain. When the public believes that the truth is being concealed, trust breaks down.
There are also serious concerns about the gaps in the system for holding senior officers accountable when they are accused of grave offences, including sexual assault and rape. Every allegation must be investigated fairly and thoroughly, and the rights of all parties must be respected. But Guyanese must have confidence that no officer is beyond scrutiny and that rank does not place anyone above the law.
The consequences reach into every community. People who do not trust the police may be reluctant to report crimes, provide information or come forward as witnesses. That makes all of us less safe.
It also affects the country’s future. We ask members of the diaspora to return home and contribute to Guyana. We invite local and foreign investors to commit their resources here. But safety, confidence in the rule of law and trust in the institutions responsible for enforcing it are essential to that invitation.
Over the years, considerable public resources and support from international partners have been committed to police reform. We must ask what has been done with those resources, why serious problems persist and what must change.
The National Assembly has the constitutional power and the responsibility to act. In 2003, it approved a Disciplined Forces Commission and directed that priority be given to the Guyana Police Force. That responsibility is before us again.
Today, I filed a motion, seconded by Mr. Ganesh Mahipaul, MP, calling for urgent parliamentary action towards the constitution of a Disciplined Forces Commission. The motion proposes that a Special Select Committee report to the National Assembly on the steps necessary to establish the Commission.
The people of Guyana must be able to turn to the police for protection without fear. The officers who serve honourably must be supported by an institution that upholds the standards expected of them.
Parliament must act.
