Georgetown: Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud has noted that at no time should anyone be placed in the police lockups for any minor offence.
If such is done then it would be considered a breach of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of the Guyana Police Force.
The top cop is adamant that this aspect of the GPF policy should see strict adherence by every rank on duty.
“No person should be arrested and placed in the police lockups for any minor offence.” He reminded that the applicable procedure should be that the person is arrested, briefly detained, and granted station bail while investigations into the reported offence are completed.
The Top Cop also reminded of the procedures which ought to be followed once a prisoner or someone in custody complains of experiencing pain or of feeling unwell.
He said: “If there are cries of pain, then the person should be taken for medical attention and examination. Depending on the results, a senior police officer would determine if the person should remain in custody, and that should be determined depending on the gravity of the offence.”
A post-mortem confirmed that the man had died as a result of a seizure, and that he had also had a blunt trauma to the head which was consistent with the seizure.
In Zaharadeen Razan’s case, it is unclear if the offence of damage to property had been considered a minor offence, and if the man had been considered as posing a threat to the life and limb of anyone who had been released from police custody after he had been arrested for the offence. The police can, on those grounds, determine if it is safe to allow the arrested person to return to the community, or remain in custody with the objective being to protect the life and limb of other citizens.
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