‘Big Six’s’ murder saw improvement in benefits to dependents of police killed in the line of duty

Dear Editor,

Recently I read with keen interest an article in the Kaieteur News entitled, `The Execution of Big Six.’ The article recounted the slaughter of police constable 15418 Adrian Williams called Big Six on Saturday, July 6, 1996. The article brought back memories of Big Six, his murder and some important developments that followed. Please permit me to share them with your readers.

I knew Big Six well. As the Force Training Officer I interviewed and recruited him. He told me that since he was a little boy he wanted to become a policeman. I was responsible for his initial training as a recruit. During that period of training I discovered that he was well disciplined, very active and had a perpetual smile. He had a very serious addiction for learning the job of a policeman. He graduated with high marks and excelled in the field of drill and weapon training. His instructor wrote, “A well disciplined trainee. He has the potentials to become a very senior police officer.” We developed a strong father/son relationship. We had numerous confabulations on various topics. After graduation he was posted to Brickdam Police Station and then to East Ruimveldt Police Outpost.

Flashback! On Friday July 5, 1996 I chaired a closing ceremony for a Supervisors’ Course at the Felix Austin Police

College, Georgetown. Commissioner Laurie Lewis delivered the feature address. In his address to the participants he posited “Whenever a policeman leaves his home to go to work he does not know whether or not he will return home alive. “Those words would come back the next evening to haunt the Commissioner.

During the evening of Saturday July 6, 1996 while Big Six and Rural Constable Sean Jack were responding to a report in their station district they came under attack by armed bandits. The gunmen riddled Big Six with bullets. He died at the scene. He was the only child for his mother. R.C. Sean Jack dropped his bicycle and bolted faster than Usain Bolt. He survived unscratched. He later migrated to Berbice.

During the preparation for the wake and the funeral arrangements I spoke with Commissioner Lewis. I reminded him of the words he uttered at the Felix Austin Police College and requested of him not repeat them again. He agreed, although he still held the view that no matter how routine the assignment might seem, a police officer’s life is often at risk. Death lurks around the next corner.

Deputy Commissioner Edward Wills who was responsible for overseeing the financial arrangements for the wake, the funeral and compensation to be paid to the

mother of Big Six discovered to his chagrin that the money available was a mere pittance. The compensation approved by the government equated to that paid out to the families of policemen 4412 Inspector Whittington Brathwaite, 4590 Sergeant James Anderson, 5611 Constable James Mc Kenzie and 5691 Constable William Norton who were killed during the 1969 Rupununi Uprising. Wills was ashamed to offer it to the mother. Commissioner Laurie Lewis was perturbed but as usual he saved the day. He went outside of the box and brought sanity to the sad state of affairs. He thereafter pledged to strive for a better package for the dependents of policemen killed in the line of duty and those who died while being a serving member of the force.

Sometime later, with the financial assistance of members of the business community Commissioner Lewis established the Police Disaster Fund popularly called Benevolent Fund. The fund was established to assist the families of police ranks killed in the line of duty and those who died while serving.

Years later, Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud took a page out of the book of Commissioner Laurie Lewis. He engaged the business community and members of various religious bodies and formed the Fallen Heroes Foundation Inc. which is intended to provide financial and other support for the children of the police ranks killed in the line of duty.

During the crime wave popularly called ‘The Troubles’, President Bharrat Jagdeo established a fund whereby the families of each police rank killed in the line of duty were awarded $1M.

Several policing establishments have similar facilities for their ranks. In the United States of America there is the Public Safety Officers’ Benefit Program. This programme awards death, disability and education assistance benefits to the survivors of law enforcement officers killed or permanently and totally disabled in the line of duty. Another USA resource is the Concerns Of Police Survivors (COPS), Inc. The stated mission of COPS is to provide resources to assist in the rebuilding of lives of families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty as determined by federal criteria. Perhaps, the Guyana Police Force can learn a few things from the American System to broaden and strengthen their benefits package.

Big Six did not live long enough to realise his true potential. Bandits abbreviated his innings. However, his death influenced Commissioner Laurie Lewis to establish the much needed Police Disaster Fund or Benevolent Fund . As alluded to above, Commissioner Seelall Persaud replicated the work of Commissioner Laurie Lewis by establishing the Fallen Heroes Foundation Inc. These packages are playing a great role in bringing some amount of relief to the dependents of police ranks who were killed in the line of duty or who died while serving as members of the Force.

When I remember Big Six, tears will not come to my eyes, but a smile will emerge on my face. May he continue to rest in peace.

Yours faithfully,

Clinton Conway

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Retired)