“We need to make sure that we are accountable to the courts, to the citizens and to ourselves. We must ensure that we do not abuse our power.”

This was the charge acting Deputy Commissioner of Police, Winston Felix, delivered on Friday to participants at the closing ceremony of a five-day Human Rights Seminar conducted for members of the joint services.

Conducted by the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) and the Joint Services Commission, the seminar sought to acquaint participants with the fundamental principle of human rights, to promote knowledge of and respect for human rights and to engender appreciation for the relevance and importance of human rights to law enforcement agencies.

Felix, who is to succeed acting Police Commissioner Floyd McDonald some time next year, welcomed the partnership between the human rights services and the joint services, describing it as a positive start, which should be continued. Conscious that law enforcement and military personnel were statutorily imbued with authority, he acknowledged that there would always be an opportunity for abuse. He reasoned that once human beings were entrusted with power, the opportunity would always exist.

He resolved that it was the police’s duty to ensure there was not an abuse of power. He cited legislation as the cradle of human rights principles, and referred to the Fundamental Rights Provision in the constitution. “These are the rights which law enforcement officers have a responsibility to uphold, to the state, to society and to ourselves. You cannot be a law enforcement officer and abuse the law.”

Noting that the Guyana Police Force was in the frontline of law enforcement, he said there was a need to look at where there were failures and where there were needs, in order to devise policies to reap the provision of fundamental rights. Congratulating the participants, he told them they were the seeds specially nurtured to grow within the services.

Meanwhile, Coordinator of the seminar, Merle Mendonca, was confident of the seminar’s success in achieving its objectives and that the commitment made by participants would take place not only in sharing with colleagues but also in the implementation of good law enforcement practices.

Thirty participants from the joint services, ranging from assistant superintendents, captains, inspectors, station sergeants, lieutenants, commanding officers and section leaders of the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Fire Service, the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Prison Service, attended the seminar at Camp Ayanganna.