Calling out the Guyana Police Force (GPF) for some of its members’ habits of stopping motorists and soliciting bribes, a Senior Counsel (SC) and former Speaker of the National Assembly has joined the Ryan Crawford debate.
In his weekly column, Senior Counsel Ralph Ramkarran revealed that he too has been stopped on multiple occasions. He complained about the practise commonly known as a shakedown; when Police randomly stop vehicles and then solicits bribes from the hapless drivers to make the ‘matter’ go away.
“A Police stop is often accompanied by the inevitable request for a raise. Despite the criticism of this type of Police activity, nothing has ever been done by the authorities to restrain it,” he wrote. “At one time drivers were stopped after they crossed on the green at traffic lights and accused of crossing on the red.”
“They paid up in panic there or after the Police entered the vehicle and told them to drive to the Police station. Driving to the Police station is frightening. It involves hours of sitting on a bench. When eventually you are dealt with, a hefty dose of bail is imposed. If you don’t have the sum, you have to communicate with a family member to secure bail.”
Ramkarran observed that these persons may then be invited to attend court, where they are told that no case has been filed. This, he noted, can come after the victim wasted a day at the court.
“On several occasions in the past, the Police authorities have announced that Policemen have no right to request a vehicle owner to go to the Police station for a minor offence. This, of course, (is sometimes not) observed by traffic Policemen who continue to hold on to drivers’ licences and demand that the drivers go to the station.”
“I have been the victim of most of these forms of harassment and so have family members and friends who have called me for assistance and advice. So have most of the thousands of drivers on the road. A traffic Policeman’s position is seen as a lucrative one.”
Apology
Meanwhile, Attorney Ryan Crawford himself issued an apology on his social media page. In the apology, he expresses regret for using expletives during the stop but added that he would continue to oppose Police who overstep their authority.
“On September 13, I was singled out from a line of vehicles travelling about 25km by a Police Officer who was standing on the opposite side of the carriageway along the vicinity of the Mahaicony Public Road. After complying with the officer to stop, I was ordered to the side of the road where I waited. At all times, my two front (windows) were down.”
Crawford recounted that after a lengthy wait without being given an explanation for the stop, he became frustrated at being detained. He noted that that frustration led to the expletives while making his point to the officer that it was an illegal stop. Crawford also alluded to things being said prior to the filming.
“As a practising attorney in both civil and criminal courts, I have seen and heard of the plight of citizens of this country at the hands of some in the Police Force. My frustration has been brewing for a while. I’m still dealing with matters started 18 years ago by my father SC Marcel Crawford, in the court. There are so many more important issues not being addressed.”
“I am not trying to justify my behaviour,” he continued. “My language was not proper as an officer of the court or as a member of the Bar of Guyana. I apologise for my language but I am not sorry for questioning arbitrary authority.”
The incident first came to light when the officer, who made a video recording of the stop, posted it to social media. In the video, Crawford could be seen arguing strenuously against the stop before driving away.
The matter has attracted the attention of many Guyanese and has significantly divided opinion. While some have expressed the need for more becoming behaviour, many have expressed frustration at constant random stops from Police ranks on the roadways.
The Bar Association in a release shied away from addressing Crawford’s incident specifically, though it warned the public of their rights when being stopped. The Police have also said that an investigation was carried out, with some reports indicating that the file was sent to their legal advisor.
