The Berbice Bar Association (BBA) says the police force should be decentralised to form ten separate forces, one for each region and a Central Police Force.

Each Regional Force, it says, must be autonomous with its own commissioner and separate command structure. It also recommends that each Regional Force should also recruit and train applicants from its own region and assimilate the Community Policing Groups.

But time was against the Disciplined Forces Commission on Thursday, when another in a series of public hearings was convened in the boardroom of the Regional Democratic Council, Vryman’s Erven, New Amsterdam. The hearing began shortly after 10 am and was scheduled to conclude at 4 pm.

But at this time only four persons out of some fifteen who turned up to testify had been heard.

They included a teacher, a farmer, the wife of a man who was killed during the siege of the Albion Police Station and President of the BBA, attorney-at-law, Joseph Anamayah.

The afternoon session was however consumed by a prolonged period of questioning and cross-examination of Anamayah by members of the Commission, much to the chagrin of those waiting to testify.

Back in August the BBA had written the Commission inviting it to convene a sitting in Berbice and had submitted a number of issues, complaints and recommendations with regards to the Guyana Police Force.

According to the Corentyne-based attorney, the Central Police Force should have a management team to oversee the ten regional forces, a central forensic laboratory, an anti-drug unit, a Central Criminal Investigation Department, an Internal Affairs Bureau and a special weapons and tactics unit, as well as deal with international agencies and foreign police forces.

Among the members of the Commission who attended the hearing in a packed and steamy boardroom were: Chairman, Justice of Appeal Ian Chang; former Attorney-General Charles Ramson, SC; former Security Adviser, Brigadier [rtd] David Granger; and attorney-at-law Anil Nandlall. Absent was Irish human-rights activist, Maggie Beirne.

The BBA’s concerns according to Anamayah include corruption within the force, malpractices and blatant violations of the law and human rights by members of the force.

The association is calling for guidelines on bail to be issued and considerations for granting it. The new outpost at Rose Hall, it notes, is staffed with misfits who are incapable of serving the public.

The association is also suggesting the de-linking of the Traffic Department and Immigration Department from the Police Force, the retention of three attorneys in each region with no less than five years of practice and the establishment of an Audit and Complaints Department.

The management team, according to Anamayah, and the operations of the Disciplined Services should fall under the scrutiny of a special Parliamentary Committee.

A number of persons who were waiting to testify were seen leaving the boardroom as the scheduled closure drew near with Anamayah still defending his association’s presentation. Earlier, two of its members, Magistrate Krishndat Persaud and Mirza Sahadat left the hearing as time became a major factor for many.

The Commission has however promised to return to the region at a date to be announced to continue its collection of information and or suggestions from those who were unable to testify on Thursday.

Some individuals took the opportunity to submit written presentations but were not allowed to defend or explain their positions or recommendations.

Among those who turned up to testify and left disappointed were individuals from various villages along the Corentyne Coast.