Noise pollution in Georgetown and environs has reached ridiculously untenable levels

The Guyana Police Force is responding to a newspaper article published in Kaieteur News on Sunday July 22, 2018 under the caption `Traffic Control at Berbice Bridge… Inspector transferred after refusing to take Top Cop’s call on civilian’s phone’, please permit me to respond to the allegation made.

That on the day in question, there were two members of the Force, one being a Subordinate Officer in the vehicle, and Dear Editor, Guyana’s children are in danger of being crippled for the rest of their lives, and no-one is paying attention! Teachers have complained that they have to shout to gain the attention of their pupils. “I’m getting hoarser and hoarser, and I don’t know what’s wrong with these children that I have to shout so much,” one very conscientious teacher complained. If you live next door to a school, you’ve probably asked yourself the same question. The answer to that is sadly this: the children are going deaf, they are suffering from lack of concentration due to sleep deprivation, and are being prevented from growing into their full potential.

Noise pollution in Georgetown and its environs has reached ridiculously untenable levels, and is quite simply a public health hazard. Deafening music from bars, homes, and gas stations in residential areas, from music carts and cars travelling along roads, and from minibuses taking passengers to work and to school, is literally destroying the minds of people, especially those at a tender age.

Loud noise is an instrument of torture! two civilians and having stopped at the police roadblock, the driver explained who they were.

In this process, the documents for the vehicle were requested and the Inspector and a Sergeant, had an issue with one of the documents, which resulted in grossly uncomplimentary remarks being made by the Inspector and the Sergeant, much to the shock and dismay of the police ranks and civilians, after the driver explained that the Commissioner of Police (ag) had Hitler and his Nazis can tell you that, as can people in the espionage business. Yet every day, in towns and cities, the population of ‘Green Guyana’ must face this horror. Few escape. Some people fight against it, and succeed, but success is often only fleeting. Most people, though, are cowed by the ugly possibility that someone connected to the noise-making establishment might throw disfiguring acid on them if they complain.

Imagine being unable to protect your children, or yourself, from a daily debilitating torture, yet still being expected to produce, at school and at work, on par with societies that don’t have this problem. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if researchers find that extreme noise pollution is a contributing factor to Guyana’s shockingly high suicide rate. When you feel helpless and powerless, when you can’t think straight in the face of other stressors, when sleep deprivation shortens your temper and increases your frustration at life, that’s a recipe for disaster. Yours faithfully, M. Marks-Mendonca Author and retired Econometrician sent them to Berbice on duty, and the driver made the call to the Commissioner of Police (ag).

On Friday March 23, 2018 about 10:00hrs, Inspector G. Playter among two other ranks from ‘B’ Division were summoned to a meeting, where one of the ranks who was in the minibus, related in the presence of Assistant Commissioner ‘Operations’ Mr. C. Hicken and Secondin-Command ‘Administration’, W/Assistant Commissioner M. Graham, DSM, what took place the previous day.

These documents were subsequently produced to the Assistant Commissioner ‘Operations’, in the presence of the Traffic Chief, and all were found to be in order; the Inspector clearly did not understand the matter of the vehicle pass on the day in question.

Inspector Playter and his ranks listened, acknowledged and admitted that he in particular showed total disregard for the Commissioner of Police’s Office by his utterances and subsequently apologised.

As it relates to him being transferred, rotation is a management tool used to assist in the maintenance of efficiency within the Guyana Police Force, inter alia.

This Inspector’s behaviour comes as no surprise, as prior to this incident, he was posted to the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions, to relieve a colleague Prosecutor who was proceeding on Annual Vacation Leave but instead he reported sick and obtained one month’s sick leave.

It is unfortunate though, that these administrative matters find themselves in the public domain, exacerbated by some sections of the press who believe that it is something worthy of public consumption.

Yours faithfully, Jairam Ramlakhan Superintendent Public Relations and Press Officer Guyana Police Force