In developments over veracity and conscientiousness by members of the protective forces in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, events that occurred earlier this month have led to the focusing of further scrutiny by an already anxious public on the performance, integrity, and immunity to corrupt behaviour by its officers.
As the Trinidad Express editorialised last Saturday, “That members of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, in any division, squad or unit, would refuse to take a polygraph test to determine the level of their conscientiousness about the jobs they are sworn to undertake and about the level of fidelity to their oaths is troubling.
“The fact that such a requirement may not be expressly stated in their terms of engagement ought not to be a satisfactory explanation, given the high level of mistrust that clearly exists among the population about integrity in the service.”
In its analysis of this “troubling” situation, where officers stationed in a particular division refused to cooperate by taking the polygraph test, the Trinidad Express correctly ascertained their reluctance “must cast a dark shadow over officers everywhere”. This refusal must raise questions in the public’s mind, namely: “What do [the officers] have to hide… What would be standing in the way of an officer answering a question as to whether or not he or she had ever taken a bribe, or might have engaged in any action that would have the effect of dishonouring his or her image as a member of the country's law enforcement apparatus?”
Similar questions regarding unprofessional behaviour by members of the protective forces also arose in Guyana. As offensive to ethical behaviour by professionals as these allegations are, the accusations of looting of personal items leveled at the Guyana Fire Department’s first responders following the emergency landing of the Air Jamaica aircraft at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport remain unfortunate and unsavoury.
We agree with Stabroek News editorial, published last week that stated: “When those responsible for the securing of life and property act against their core purpose they essentially become the enemy that they are supposed to be fighting. This is a terrible dilemma and leaves those dependent on the assistance to save life and property in a quandary if they see the advancing crew more as looters rather than the saviours they are supposed to be. Needless to say, this creates a breakdown in the system of law and order if citizens begin to reject the authority of those charged with maintaining law and order.”
Condemnation for the alleged pilfering was swift, with the government stating, “Cabinet strongly condemned as criminal and morally corrupt those alleged acts of theft and urged that the perpetrators be brought to swift justice.”
However, Stabroek News was quick to point to more systemic and widespread societal pathologies of corrupt behaviour, noting: “Ironically perhaps, it is the Guyana Police Force, itself beset by numerous concerns about its own propensities towards corruption that is responsible for the investigation. Indeed, it wasn’t too long ago when, in looking for an appropriate choice for Commissioner of Police, President Granger intimated that he was looking for someone ‘unbribable’ – a thinly veiled reference to the GPF’s corruption allegation woes. And when one considers the comments by the Minister of Public Security bemoaning the apparent complicity of officers of the Guyana Prison Service in illegalities in the prison system, the alleged behaviour of the officers of the Guyana Fire Service is suddenly brought into sharp context representing a culture of corruption and lawlessness that has eroded the ethical foundation of many institutions in Guyana, with government-run institutions being most vulnerable.”
The issues of credibility faced in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana are complex as they are systemic. A starting point for resolution could be both governments introducing and enforcing legislated accountabilities so integrity and honesty are maintained by members in its protective forces.