Gail George

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The rate of absenteeism of officers of the City Constabulary was high on the agenda of the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown when it held its statutory meeting on Monday.Deputy Mayor Robert Williams reported that there were 269 absent days recorded for the month of May alone. He said that based on the records 94 absent days were credited to 41 ranks.The revelation comes at a time, he disclosed, when the Constabulary has vacancies for 88 officers.Some 176 ranks are currently on staff of which 26 have racked up 125 days sick leave, all taking about five days each, Williams noted.He, as a result, questioned the authenticity of the ranks’ ailments.The Deputy Mayor also pointed to the need for the Constabulary to exercise more seriousness in recruiting ranks that are physically fit.This newspaper understands that several of the ranks are made to work overtime as they are afforded commuted overtime.However, City Mayor Hamilton Green, divulged that having recently seen a batch of persons recruited for the city policing unit he was not impressed.“I looked out of my window and I was not impressed at all at their physiology and attitude. And when I asked to see a list it was even more disturbing in terms of their ages.” He also made reference to what appears to be gender bias in the recruitment process.The Mayor questioned whether the city constabulary image has been tarnished to such an extent that suitable persons are unwilling to take up the available job opportunities.“We use to come after the Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force (in terms of employment) but now we are getting the lef, lef…The image of any military or paramilitary entity is vital.”And according to the Mayor, he is not aware that anything has been done to improve the image of the constabulary even as he pointed out that help could be forthcoming if it is not sought after.He also alluded to the conduct of the ranks within the Constabulary’s employ, emphasising that the rate of absenteeism has become a pattern which suggest that there is an institutional problem that needs to be addressed.Chief Constable, Gail George, noted that in the case of the ranks that have absented themselves from duty they have had to answer to a charge. However she said that the ranks are sometimes forced to stay away to attend to personal matters on occasions.She told the gathering at the meeting on Monday, too, that she has consulted with the municipal’s Medical Officer of Health who has confirmed that the instances of sick leave are in fact genuine.At a recent retreat held for the constabulary officers, George said that a number of problems affecting the operation of the ranks were recognised.She said that the ranks are pressured as they are forced to operate on a 24-hour basis and are not in receipt of adequate support they are entitled to, a situation which impacts significantly on them when they are forced to work overtime.The condition under which they operate was also highlighted by George as a problem.