Police misconduct does not justify contempt for the law - GHRA Stabroek News February 23, 2000 The human rights group, GHRA is repeating its call for the creation of a Civilian Police Oversight Board and argues that the excesses of the Guyana Police Force do not justify contempt for the law. In a statement on Monday on the shooting to death of Linden `Blackie' London and other issues, the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) said that the oversight board would function as a mechanism to bring together the main players in the administration of justice under civilian control. "The mandate of such a Board should include the development of a comprehensive national policy on crime and security and the creation of an effective, properly resourced, politically impartial and professional Police Force", the release said. It noted that expressions of support for the 11-hour combined police/military operation against `Blackie' at Eccles on February 8-9 were few. "The total lack of concern for the safety of residents, private property, excessive use of force, glorification of violence, excessive cost and indiscipline, is inexcusable and generated contempt for the police operations", the statement pointed out. The GHRA said that the posthumous heaping of a series of crimes on London's head cannot "camouflage a crude, poorly planned and wantonly destructive operation". In addition, the killing once again shuts the file on a roll of high profile crimes which the general public will not receive a satisfactory explanation for. The group adverted to the recent shooting to death of Shawn Nedd by a policeman after he was detained and said it "reinforces the impression that human life is a very cheap commodity in the eyes of the police". The GHRA said that an inquest into Nedd's death is urgently required and should not preclude the laying of appropriate criminal charges against the office responsible. Comparisons were drawn by GHRA between this execution and those of Ricky Samaroo and Joseph `Dingo' Persaud in 1993 after an attempt to break into the Licence Revenue Department. The GHRA said that days before the killings, Persaud had supplied damning evidence against a group of police officers in a civil suit that had been brought by the family of Michael Teekah who had died in police custody. Persaud was shot in the mouth and the GHRA noted that two days later the Police Commissioner rewarded the policemen involved in the matter before there was any enquiry into whether excessive force was employed. In the London incident, the GHRA said that justifiable condemnation of the police has been marred by "factions attempting to transform contempt for the Police Force into contempt for the law". This irresponsible and unlawful behaviour in reply to the police's misconduct deflects the momentum required to reform the force and also contributes to the growing contempt for the law which is evident at all levels of society.