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Jul 08, 2010 News
Commissioner of Police Henry Greene yesterday described the relationship between the late Assistant Superintendent Ivelaw Murray and murdered constable Kelvin Shepherd was inappropriate.
Speaking to reporters at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, yesterday, the Commissioner said that the relationship between the two men was ‘very close’ without going into details.
Assistant Superintendent Murray shot himself dead with the police service revolver shortly after murdering shepherd in the barrack room of the Whim Police Station, in a shocking murder suicide that has left the force in a state of shock.
The incident which followed closely on the heels of the slaying of a Police Constable Vickram Singh who was on guard duty at the entrance of the Joint Services Housing Scheme in Lamaha Springs, was described as sad by the Commissioner, especially at a time when the force is celebrating its 171 anniversary.
“My information seems to suggest there was a close relationship between the officer and the young man. I’m told the young man used to drive his car. I’m told he used to feed him, provide food for him. I’m told he used to stay at his house, every now and then he would stay at his (Officer) home,” the Commissioner said.
He explained that the Corporal who had visited the barrack room shortly before the incident was told by the Officer that the two had a close relationship. This was verified by the Constable, he said.
The Corporal then left the barrack room before Shepherd received the gunshot wound to his head.
Responding to suggestions that there might be similar relationships within the Guyana Police Force, the Police Commissioner said that there is no law preventing such relationships.
“I think it would be inappropriate for an officer to go to that extent, to have a male Constable, feeding him, driving his car, giving him privileges in the enquiries office that sort of thing is inappropriate conduct. But there is no law that stops him from having that sort of thing,” the Commissioner said, adding that the close relationship between the Officer and the Constable was not brought to the attention of the force’s hierarchy prior to the incident.
“What we will do if it’s brought to our attention is to call the officer, speak with him and say to him, well, look, this is inappropriate. Unfortunately in this circumstance, this was not observed or noticed…and therefore we could do nothing about it,” he added.
But according to a Divisional Commander who spoke to Kaieteur News on condition of anonymity, the problem of ‘close relationships’ exists within the organization but the Force does not have a definitive policy on it.
The Commander said that some officers are aware that it does exist but in the absence of a policy, many of them pass it off as a joke and could even be heard making light talk about it.
Commissioner Greene said that the recent incidents are indeed a sad saga in the life of the Guyana Police Force.
“This is probably a bad season for us. It’s not that we’re happy with what’s happening. We continue to do several things-to train, to mentor, to talk to ranks…we can do so much and no more,” Greene told the media.
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