Achieving ethnic proportionality in security forces a huge challenge

By Vahnu Manikchand

Years after adopting the landmark Disciplined Forces Commission Report, law enforcement agencies in Guyana have acknowledged that it has been difficult to achieve ethic balance in the forces despite the clear recommendation for this to be done.

The issue of the ethnic imbalance in the security forces had come to the fore during the Constitutional Change hearings during 1999. One of the changes that were approved unanimously in 2000 Constitution was a clause that mandates the President to establish a Commission to investigate and recommend resolving the ethnic imbalance in the Disciplined Forces. Following the 2002 Prison escapee-led crime spree, when there were complaints about the performance of both the Police and the Army, the Opposition PNC called upon the PPP government to establish the Disciplined Forces Commission.

Increased strength

Only last week it was announced that Cabinet has given the go-ahead for the Police Force to increase its authorised strength by 1500 and also that of the Guyana Fire Service by 84 bringing the total number on strength to 511. Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee told the media that in 2014 Cabinet gave approval for an increase in the establishment of the Guyana Police Force from 3,410 to 4,956. This upward revision has made commensurate the demands of Guyana’s significantly changed security environment in the preservation of law, order and peace which stems from an increase in population size and the accompanying development of new communities.

He said an increase and frequent occurrences of social-economic activities, significant increases in the number of motor vehicles and the accompanying expansion of the road network and significant opening up of Guyana’s interior regions. Regarding the Fire Service, Rohee said the increase will provide the Service with the requisite strength to manage the new Fire Stations that were constructed at Bartica, Diamond and Onverwagt. Cabinet also approved an increase by three hundred and twenty-two (322) the number of ranks of the Special Constabulary bringing the total number of ranks belonging to the Special Constabulary to nine hundred and sixty-eight (968).

The Disciplined Forces Commission (DFC), which was sworn in on June 30th, 2003, comprised Justice Ian Chang, attorney Anil Nandlall, former GDF Brigadier David Granger, current Attorney General Charles Ramson and Irish human rights activist Maggie Bierne. Bierne resigned subsequently and was replaced by Dr Harold Lutchman.

After holding hearings in various parts of the country and taking hundreds of submissions, the commission’s final report was presented to the Speaker of the National Assembly on May 6, 2004. The report, comprising of some 164 recommendations, 71 of which were directed at the Guyana Police Force, was then laid before the National Assembly on May 17 and was accepted unanimously. A select committee was then established on November 4, 2004, with a mandate to report to the National Assembly in four months. But it was not until almost six years later that the report was finally unanimously passed by the National Assembly on June 10th 2010. On the matter of ethnic representativeness, the DFC declared: “The Commission…is of the view that the allaying of ethnic security fears which stem from the predominance of Afro-Guyanese presence in the GPF must be addressed…but to ensure, in so doing, that no similar insecurity fears are caused in the Afro-Guyanese community.” More specifically, it recommended: “It should be an aim (of the GPF) to achieve a Force representative of the ethnic diversity of the nation without employing a quota system.” The report also suggested that a study be conducted on how to address the ethnic make-up imperative.

Elusive

However, when contacted by the Guyana Times International, a senior officer in the Guyana Police Force acknowledged that it has been “a struggle” to achieve the ethnic balance as recommended. Noting that the Police Force has been deliberate in its recruitment policy to employ persons of all ethnicities, the officer said joining the security sector is not an easy decision for anyone to make. “You have to have a preference for this kind of work. Its rigorous, you have to live away from your communities and there are a host of other considerations,” the officer noted. These challenges had all been noted in the DFR and specific recommendations were made to resolve them.

The Officer said that over the years a number of Indo-Guyanese have joined the Force and have risen to high office in the organisation. The officer pointed out that currently three of the top administrative officers at Eve Leary including the Acting Commissioner of Police are of Indian descent. “So we have seen a gradual and a progressive step in the right direction, but what I can say is achieving this balance is not easy…”

The officer told GTI too that the Force also conducts recruitment across the country, pointing out that it has training bases in Berbice- a predominantly Indian-based area as well as Essequibo. “We have training schools in these places and we have seen a lot of persons of East Indian descent joining. They are part of the training and they are willing to become members of the Force,” the officer noted. He believes that historically there were fears about Indians joining the security forces, but those fears have been quelled. “We are seeing a shift, a gradual but steady shift in the right direction,” the officer said. The DFR had emphasised that these efforts at rectifying the historical imbalance due to discriminatory hiring practices be rectified.

Another officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police Balram Persaud told the GTI that the Force has been trying to adhere to this recommendation when recruiting officers; however, there are some factors that do not make this practicable. Persaud explained that the Police Force does not discriminate against a particular race when employing new ranks. “As long as you are fit, you have the necessary qualification, you are interested in the job and as long as you pass the test then we will take you in…We can’t discriminate, we just have to look at who is there” he stressed.

Another point the ACP highlighted is the fact that the Police Force is still trying to meet its full capacity as such it cannot wait around for applicants from one particular group to match that of another before it starts recruiting. “How long must we wait for this? We need to start recruiting immediately so that we can meet the new capacity,” the senior officer added.

Responding to views that the Police Force is dominated mostly by Afro-Guyanese, Persaud outlined that two additional Police Training Schools were built in Adventure, Berbice, and Suddie, Essequibo in order to give a chance to other ethnicities, particularly Indo-Guyanese who predominantly encompasses the population in these regions. He said as a result of these two schools, the Force has seen a balance of the two main ethnicities in accordance with the recommendation made. Nevertheless the ACP maintained that along with the recommendation for ethnic balance, the Force has been working diligently to ensure that all of the recommendations made are implemented.