June 17, 2001
JAMAICANS UNITED AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY Guyana -- Extrajudicial Police Killings Date: 6/17/2001 Human rights group urges national oversight body PNC/R slams killings by cops The PNC REFORM (PNC/R) yesterday lambasted the Police Special Target Squad over extra-judicial killings saying it was out of control and the human rights group GHRA says the upsurge in these incidents highlights the failure to enforce professional policing. Statements by the two organizations came yesterday in the wake of the shooting to death by police of at least four men over the past weeks. The PNC/R is demanding a full-fledged public inquiry into the operations of the Police Force and is calling for Police Commissioner Laurie Lewis to demit office. In a statement delivered to the press yesterday, Leader of the Party Desmond Hoyte estimated that over 100 young men were killed within the past 8 years by the Special Target Squad, otherwise known as the Black Clothes Police. In nearly all of these killings, he observed that there has been no investigation, coroner's inquest or public explanation by the Commissioner. In the few cases where an internal inquiry was announced by the Commissioner in response to public outcry, he said that "Once the announcement is made, nothing further is heard." As an example, he cited the case of Colin McGregor who was shot by the Police at #68 Village, Corentyne on 14 November, 1999. Hoyte also referred to the recent shooting of two young men, Sean Hope and Colin Cumberbatch, on Saturday by the "Black Clothes Police". As is usual in these cases, the bodies of the victims were dragged along the ground like the carcass of wild animals and thrown into a waiting Police vehicle, which sped away with them." He criticised the "so-called leaders" of civil society who remained silent about the "depredations of these Black Clothes Police." "They (the Black Clothes Police) operate outside the jurisdiction of the Commissioner of Police and relate directly to certain members of the ruling Political Directorate. Consequently, they have political protection and believe that they are untouchable." Hoyte said that the majority of the Police ranks were decent people trying to do a professional job but that they were frustrated by the circumstances under which they operate. The current Police Commissioner, he said, had reached retirement age 6 years ago "but continues to cling tenaciously to office while the morale, efficiency and prestige of the Force are collapsing around him." "Since he now holds office on sufferance, he cannot perform his duties with the independence and professionalism which the office constitutionally and legally requires. The Force will continue to deteriorate while he remains in office. It is time for him to go as a precondition for restoring the image and prestige of the Force." The normal age of retirement is 55 years. However, it is understood that in the case of the Police Commissioner this age limit was extended to 60 with the consent of the person holding office. In its statement, the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) said that since the national elections the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has been found to be deficient in areas such as crowd control, crime prevention and detection. "Use of excessive force in all of these areas has replaced professional methods. The GPF is overwhelmed by criminal and politically-induced lawlessness", it said. It averred that the only solution to this problem is the construction of a national security policy to be implemented by a national oversight body on which the police, relevant civic bodies and specialised agencies will be represented. It said that the fatal shootings of Junior Stanton, Devon Gonsalves, Sean Hope and Colin Cumberbatch in circumstances which suggest straight-forward extra-judicial execution shows the "confidence among the executors in the GPF that they will not be brought to account". Additional pressure is put on the professionally-inclined members of the force when the executors are not sanctioned. It added that without drawing too many conclusions the coincidence of these killings and high levels of political lawlessness may need to be scrutinised. The connecting factor between political lawlessness and these killings "may well be the murderous attacks on shopkeepers, businessmen and private homes in both Demerara and Berbice", the GHRA said. It pointed out that during the unrest many police stations were severely depleted and this was not lost on the criminals. It recommended that in the short-term the Director of Public Prosecutions must take a more active stand on the use of excessive force by the police. "Too frequently charges are not laid, or are reduced to charges less serious than circumstances merit", the GHRA contended. Further, the GPF must also enforce charges against those culpable of summary executions otherwise more members of the force will resort to this. It said an encouraging step in this direction was the conviction and imprisonment of a police officer for the shooting of Mohammed Shaheed. In addition, the clamour for more firearm licences must be resisted, the GHRA asserted. "It opens too many avenues for corruption and too many legal fire-arms end up in the hands of criminals. There is no substitute for a well-trained and equipped police force." The GHRA also argued that opposition political activists must recognise a nexus between incitement and criminal lawlessness. This type of violence provokes extra-judicial killings and the GHRA said that "lamenting only the final act of a scenario, for which they are initially responsible, is both hypocritical and callous". It posited that lawful protests and real grievances are being adulterated by political and racial agenda. The GHRA also pointed out that the UN Human Rights Committee had last year recommended to the government here that an impartial body to investigate these killings and the excessive use of force be established. (Stabroek News, 13 June 2001) Click here to return to Jamaicans United Against Police Brutality homepage. |