Benn puts foot in mouth at police symposium
Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn on Tuesday launched a scorching attack on serving members of the Guyana Police Force while addressing a symposium to mark the force’s anniversary.
Benn, who is responsible for the security sector, stopped calling all commanders and those within senior positions corrupt.
“And the police commanders and others who find themselves in authority must not think that after arriving at the job, they need to award and reward themselves and to walk around with plenty gold and diamonds around their neck and fingers. If they have that, it means they are men who can be bought, I can buy you because that’s what you like and you flaunt it, it must stop, it must stop” stated Benn.
The minister also accused the police of putting citizens in positions where the only thing they have to do is pay money or pay a bribe.
During his address, he told the gathering of senior officers that he was not in the business of instructing the police but rather making requests of them.
He further stated that if the requests are not followed or they are delayed, or they are undermined, or there is a disregard for the things “we want you to do it means we have a significant problem and I am saying here clearly, there is a significant problem”
The Guyana Police Force, even the government at various levels has acknowledged that the force is short of resources.
Nevertheless, Benn used his presence at the forum to lambaste the organization for the policing posture in and around the Stabroek Market area. An area that has also been a hot spot and troublesome location for law enforcement.
“We have abandoned foot patrols, we have abandoned the dogs walking through the Stabroek Market area, if I walk through the front gate I can get an instant high while people are fencing things right at the Stabroek market gate, if you don’t look like me you could be robbed, assaulted and even killed in that environ around Stabroek Market in that general environs,” Robeson Benn remarked.
