Gunmen in
Buxton have
wreaked havoc over
recent years and
there seems to be
no concrete plan
to alleviate the
suffering of
Guyanese caused by
the reign of
terror as a result
of the police
ineffectiveness in
the village.
According to
the former
policeman, the
Target Special
Squad was trained
by the US military
to deal with such
situations, unlike
their counterparts
in the newly
formed special
unit, who can only
deal with civilian
unrest and less
confrontational
engagements.
This newspaper
understands that
the newly formed
squad which began
with about 50
ranks and trained
by British
security personnel
is now down to
about eight men.
Information
received by this
newspaper stated
that in 2003, a
senior police
officer was
mandated to
establish a team
by August that
year to deal with
the escalating
violence that was
plaguing the
country.
The government
had set aside
$200M for that
purpose.
However, this
was not done until
late last year.
New vehicles,
weapons,
bullet-proof
vests, uniforms
and other
equipment were
acquired for this
purpose.
But unlike the
Target Special
Squad, which
gathered its own
intelligence and
operated with two
senior officers,
the new elite team
is never allowed
to act
independently.
A source said
that the unit was
under the direct
command of the
head of the
Tactical Services
Unit.
Since their
establishment,
several ranks from
the special unit
including a
sergeant have been
transferred to
various other
police divisions
and departments
following
allegations of
corruption.
“This is a
total waste of
government money.
They have not made
a single case
since their
establishment and
a lot of people
are asking what
has become of
them,” a senior
official at the
Tactical Services
Unit told this
newspaper.
After their
initial training,
the elite team as
the present Police
Commissioner
advised that they
be called, has
never undergone
any other
training. A source
said that they are
just sent out to
do routine patrol
duties and then it
was back to their
barracks.
The former
Target Special
Squad member told
this newspaper
that after they
were trained by
the US military in
close combat,
warfare and
several other
different
maneuvers,
continuous
training was
mandatory.
“They were 12
of us and two
senior officers.
Apart from the
overseas training,
we trained under
Mr. Laurie George
and every Sunday
we had to pass a
fitness test,”
the former cop
said.
Current Police
Commissioner (above)
had
indicated a
dislike for the
operations of the
former Target
Squad and since
his appointment
the squad was
disbanded and the
officers placed in
several low key
areas.
“The present
Commissioner would
like to see a
police force with
batons instead of
guns. While that
is okay, times
have changed and
criminals are now
armed with
high-powered
weapons. We need
to get real,”
the former
policeman said.
Describing the
operations of the
now disbanded
Target Special
Squad, the former
policeman said
that a lot of
people were given
the wrong
impression.
The squad was
set up in 1996 to
deal with the
growing gun
related criminal
activities at the
time.
But things got
out of control
when the unit was
called upon to
deal with other
activities outside
of their scope of
training.
“We were
never trained to
deal with mass
demonstrations and
election related
violence,” the
former officer
said.
During both the
2001 and 2002
General Elections,
the Target Special
Squad was called
out to carry out
duties to quell
violence that
erupted, although
the onus for such
duties fell within
the ambit of the
Tactical Services
Unit.
However, this
newspaper
understands that
during that
period, ranks from
the TSU were
apprehensive.
“Target was
instructed to deal
with the situation
by direct orders
from the police
hierarchy, despite
the reluctance of
the ranks.”
The former
officer explained
that “we were
told to go and not
return to base
until the roads
were cleared.
Bossman, there
were over 5000
people out there,
so you could
imagine what we
went through”.
He recalled
that during the
2001 General
Elections the
Target Special
Squad rescued an
entire division
and a TSU
contingent which
was engulfed by
thousands of
persons in Buxton
on Buxton Public
Road .
“Twelve of us
cleared 33 fires
from
Beterverwagting to
Clonbrook. All the
police stations
were locked and we
went up there and
controlled the
situation,” the
former cop said.
Allegations of
brutality were
leveled against
the squad by
several members of
the public as well
as the media.
“The men at
the top escaped
the lashes. We
were the ones who
were made the
scapegoats,” the
former policeman
said.
Speaking on the
current situation
that is plaguing
the country, with
a group of gunmen
holding the
country at ransom,
he said that the
Target Special
Squad always had a
unit that could
have responded to
any situation
within three to
five minutes.
He opined that
the members of the
new elite unit may
be a bit
apprehensive to
operate to the
best of their
abilities, after
taking into
consideration what
had happened to
the target squad.
This newspaper
was told that when
the squad was
formed the ranks
were promised a
risk allowance,
equivalent to
their monthly
salaries. However
this never
materialized.
Kaieteur News
understands that
members of the new
elite squad had
refused to go to
Agricola when
called upon during
the brutal triple
murder there.
“What has
happened is that
ranks from the new
special unit saw
the disbandment of
Target and were
curious to find
out what really
happened to us.”
According to
the former cop the
ranks from the
Target Squad were
placed under
tremendous
pressure.
First they were
confined to a
building at Police
Headquarters, Eve
Leary for several
years, with only
one day off per
week.
“After a
certain period of
time some of us
lost our spouses.
Our children had
to be changing
schools ever so
often. Social life
was non existent
for us, but we
showed our
dedication and
made a sacrifice
for this country.
All we saw were
weapons and life
threatening
situations,” the
former cop stated.
Many members of
the target squad
were wounded in
confrontations,
including senior
Superintendent
Steve Merai,
Sergeant Eon Smith
called
‘Gangster' and
Constable Eustace
Abraham called
‘Robo cop'.
Their
Second-in-Command,
Leon Fraser, was
killed under
mysterious
circumstances.
The former cop
pointed out that
they never
received any
compensation for
their injuries.
“All of this
is being taken
into consideration
by the members of
the new elite
squad,” he
explained.
He said that
although the
target members
were accused of
extra-judicial
killings, many of
the target ranks
are before courts
giving evidence in
several inquests.
Referring to
the present
situation facing
the police force
with regards to
Buxton, the former
policeman said
Buxton calls for
more manoeuvres on
foot.
“This is what
we were trained
for - guerilla
tactics. Going by
nights is how we
were trained. Our
mission would have
been to seek,
find, engage and
arrest or
eliminate.”
The officer
suggested that the
police should
desist from
vehicular patrols
in the village
which are only
making ranks a
target for the
gunmen.
He is advising
that the police
set up a base at
the back of the
village, with
ranks outfitted
with proper
communication and
night vision
equipment along
with an adequate
supply of ration.
“Even during
the flood we would
have gone in
there. Our local
trainer Laurie
George taught us
to love adverse
conditions,
whether it was bad
weather, trenches
or canefields.
“We were
trained for
situations like
Buxton and not
elections. We
would have lived
in the Buxton
backdam if there
was a need.”
He said that
fugitives like
Neil Bovelle would
have been caught
already by the
Target Special
Squad.
The former cop
said he is willing
to return to
Guyana to
participate in any
commission of
inquiry into the
operations of the
Target Special
Squad.
Thursday
05-26-2005
