Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken today encouraged Police ranks on patrol duty to call for back-up whenever they are faced with threats, and not wait until it is too late.

Addressing Inspectors and Sergeants at their annual conference this morning, the Commissioner said failure to seek help when faced with a threat can put the Guyana Police Force in an embarrassing situation. 

He made reference to a recent roadside brawl involving two Police Officers and two civilians that was triggered by a verbal confrontation that quickly became physical.

“When you go out there, you do a threat assessment and you call to the operations room, don’t wait until you start fighting and things get out of hand and then you are begging for help. You are embarrassing the Force when you do that,” the Police Commissioner said.

He urged the officers to rely on wisdom and not just their training strategies.

“Wisdom tells us when to act, and when to listen. It means balancing enforcement with compassion. Risks assessment is your policy, when you get out there, it cannot be two to two, it cannot be. It has to be four or six police officers to two people, and that is why we have the SOP with the operations room,” he said.  

In a statement, the Guyana Police Force said the action of the Police ranks who were involved in the fight does not reflect the values and professional conduct of the Guyana Police Force.

The Force said while two wrongs cannot equate to a right, the Guyana Police Force urges all such actions to be reported for investigation.

The two civilians, who have been identified as brothers, have since been charged and placed before the Court for their part in the fight.

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