Police force guilty of ‘good deed for publicity’ Christmas syndrome

One of the images released by the Guyana Police Force. (This publication blocked the face of the child)

The Guyana Police Force on Wednesday showed that it is part and parcel of the problem where persons give handouts to others just for what can best be described as the love of publicity.

There is a general practice by some individuals, companies, organisations and agencies, that once they give eatables to others, they need the presence of photographs and videographers to capture the moment which is often shared to social media.

On Wednesday the Guyana Police Force released several images to the media where a number of persons were pictured receiving a bag of rice, another bag with some undisclosed contents, a tray of eggs and what appears to be an unverified quantity of cheese placed on top of the tray of eggs.

The statement from the Guyana Police Force stated that the initiative was one from its Welfare Department which was at the time bringing Christmas cheers to the relatives of police members who were either killed or injured in the line if duty.

The Chief Welfare Officer of the Guyana Police Force is the Commissioner of Police.

The initiative of remembering the relatives of those police members are no doubt a good one but the presentation and manner in which those persons were made to stand and pose for photos receiving the items in the open and on the roadside, leaves much to be desired.

Today this publication reached out to the Corporate Communications Unit of the Guyana Police Force for a comment on the issue and was directed to a female officer who functions within the Welfare Unit of the Force. That female officer offered no direct comment on the issue as she stated that the force has communications unit to engage with the press.

Persons are reminded that in this, the season of giving and sharing, there is no need for the exploitation of those in need by exposing them to world as needy by plastering images of them receiving food items or eatables all over the internet.

It is a very tacky practice and comes over as a clear case of the right hand being made aware of what the left hand does. Do not do it for the likes and the shares.