GHRA moots police force decentralisation
By Nivedta Kowlessar
Guyana Chronicle
September 10, 2003
THE Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) yesterday reasoned that decentralizing the Guyana Police Force will address concerns about ethnic balance, an issue the Defence Forces Commission is tackling in a public inquiry.
GHRA representative, Mike McCormack told the Commission the ethos of the Force would take on "regional character" under a decentralised system, which would "attract people from different places".
In a 42-page submission to the Commission, holding hearings at the Supreme Court Library in Georgetown, the GHRA recommended the Force reflect the multi-cultural diversity of the society.
"...the rationale advanced to justify racial imbalance in the Disciplined Services is that Afro-Guyanese better adapt to the military culture than Indo-Guyanese.
"Since Indo-Guyanese constitute the numerical majority in the society, it is clear that the military culture should evolve into one in which they and all other races in the society feel comfortable," GHRA urged.
The local human rights watchdog is pushing for more gender balance, as well, pointing out that this is necessary for incidents or arrests involving women. But the Commission noted that this may have more to do with deployment and, as such, is related to the issue of management.
McCormack, who spent a long time discussing structural changes with the Commission, said decentralising also has many other benefits, including giving Police Commanders a sense of purpose - not only for controlling personnel, but in developing plans for regional policing.
GHRA is suggesting a name change from the Guyana Police Force to Guyana Police Service, which McCormack said would symbolise a new orientation with priority given to protection of rights and creating more dialogue between Police and society.
Contending that the current structure is inflexible, he shared ideas of mobile and virtual Police stations and a presence outside schools, which could be explored within the new framework of 'Service'.
McCormack and the Commission discussed at length the militia component of the Force, with the former contending that this has been overstated and that it inhibits effective policing. The deployment of the Army in situations that can be handled by the Police was also raised.
GHRA is strongly opposed special Police units operating outside the normal chain of command and McCormack, questioned by the Commission, argued that they have led to "systematic excesses of all descriptions" and have had "little impact on society."
The role of the Minister of Home Affairs surfaced, with McCormack complaining about the monopoly type of accountability to the holder of the post. He said there should be a wider range of influences in decision-making to help constructive change to take place.
More consideration of this is expected when the Government's submissions to the Commission are looked at.
McCormack also urged that the Police Complaints Authority be more independent, and part of a larger body with wider functions that would make more efficient use of financial and other resources. Referring to the "absurdity" of the current system in which the Police Commissioner might be asked to investigate a report filed with the Authority against him, McCormack said, "this is an excuse of a complaints mechanism that we have at the moment."
Deeming the issue of political interference "serious", he said a combined civil/political form of authority could be used for a more realistic involvement that would respect the country's diversity.
GHRA is recommending a new concept of community policing, as well, with residents seeing what McCormack called a "direct return" on their efforts to secure their neighbourhoods under Police guidance. McCormack says this would have to go "hand in hand" with the renovation of local government structures that could inject the concept of how a community could involve itself in policing.
He also said incidents involving use of force, a common criticism leveled at the Police, were "disturbingly high" when compared with data on the situation in other countries with far higher populations.
According to GHRA, per 100,000 of the population, the rate of persons killed by the Police in Guyana is 2.2 compared with Venezuela - 0.85; Canada - 0.07 and the United States - 0.18.
Lawmen were "sending people to the cemetery rather than the Courts", McCormack observed, noting that this signalled a loss of confidence in the judicial system. He pointed to Constitutional implications, given the link with deficiencies in the administration of civil and political rights.
He said the practice of "turning torture into science" appears to have disappeared, but GHRA is concerned that the spread of weapons and lack of inquests signal an era in which people will be shot rather than detained and beaten.
On the issue of inquests, Commission Chairman, Senior Counsel, Ian Chang, pointed to a misconception that these must be ordered by Director of Public Prosecution. He said there was a loophole in the law, which would need to be redefined to say exactly who is the coroner in a given area, since there is no enabling provision to say one person holds such responsibility.
McCormack also called for attention to be paid to the way exhibits are collected and stored.
He is to return to the Commission at a date to be fixed.
The body has been mandated to give priority to the Police Force in its probe of the disciplined services, which comprise the Police, Army and Prison, and Fire Services.
Conducting the hearings with Chang are members, Senior Counsel, Charles Ramson; Attorney-at-Law, Anil Nandlal; Brigadier (retired), David Granger and Maggie Bierne, a member of the Commission for the Administration of Justice in Northern Ireland.
The inquiry fulfills a measure in the Joint Communiqué signed in May by President Bharrat Jagdeo and Mr. Robert Corbin, Leader of the Opposition and People's National Congress/Reform.