Tuesday, May 06, 2008

The former crime fighter said that if given another chance to serve in his former capacity, he would readily accept, although certain conditions would have to be met.

Go for it Mr. Gangsta.

Former member of the once feared Target Special Squad, Sergeant Ian Smith, called ‘Gangsta,’ is of the view that the security forces are to be blamed for allowing the present Buxton/Agricola gang to grow into the unit it is today, terrorizing the entire nation. 

Smith, who recently won a court challenge to his dismissal, told this newspaper in an exclusive interview that the Police Force erred when they disbanded most of their anti-crime units following the deaths of most of the 2002 jailbreak escapees.

Former Commissioner of Police Winston Felix 

 Bachelor’s Degree in the Social Sciences (Public Management)

University of Guyana warns of fake certificates

Felix and Jagdeo disbanded most of the anti-crime units.

Jagdeo is the Commander in Chief of Armed Forces

Ranks-abandon-station

He said that since the disbanding of the Target Special Squad and other crime-fighting Police units, the underlings of the criminal underworld have now matured and are creating headaches for the security forces, with massacres and attacks on Police stations ruling the roost today.
He is of the opinion that the present strategy being employed by the security forces — waiting for intelligence — will not work, and he suggested a more proactive approach to show the criminals that they will not be allowed to hold the country to ransom.
The former crime fighter said that if given another chance to serve in his former capacity, he would readily accept, although certain conditions would have to be met.
Smith is presently awaiting the ruling of the court on an appeal by the Police on his reinstatement.
Kaieteur News caught up with Smith, and he willingly agreed to an interview.
He first expressed his pleasure at the decision of the court to reinstate him after three years.
Smith was one of the founding members of the Target Special Squad (Black Clothes), which was formed in 1996 under then Commissioner Laurie Lewis to confront armed criminals, who at the time were wreaking havoc in the society.
Following the elimination of four of the five prison escapees as well as some of their confederates, Smith left Guyana to attend the funeral of his mother in Canada.
He extended his stay by one week and subsequently covered himself with sick leave to that effect, although he was still due for more than 100 days of annual leave.
However, upon his return to Guyana he was issued with marching orders, after more than 25 years in the Police Force.
During his tenure as a cop, Gangsta single-handedly confronted criminals, taking two bullets in the process.
However, despite this he continued to serve fearlessly until his dismissal.
When asked if he would rejoin the Police Force as a premier crime fighter, Gangsta replied in the affirmative, stating though that any squad he is placed in has to come under the direct command of the Crime Chief.
“This squad mustn’t come under nobody else but the Crime Chief. And we don’t want no joint operation with soldiers. We would call dem in if we need dem, but dis is a Police operation to hunt down these people. We were trained to deal with this kind of thing,” Gangsta told this newspaper.
He explained that any squad formed should be staffed with operatives from the Criminal Investigations Department, so that there will be a criminal investigative capacity on the unit.
In addition, there should also be a few trained men from the Tactical Services Unit, a few experts from the Police Ballistics Department — such as bomb experts — as well as operatives who are familiar with several hot spots in the country.
“In we time we had two old reconditioned vehicles, and now these people getting brand new vehicles. We could do with dem new vehicles with bulletproof,” Smith said.
According to Smith, when the Target Special Squad was operating under Commissioners Laurie Lewis and Floyd McDonald, they were given much autonomy to operate once the job was being done to the satisfaction of the Force.
He explained that, during those days, the Target Special Squad had developed its own intelligence gathering system and did not have to wait for information from the Police Special Branch, as is currently the case.
“If we had to wait on Special Branch we woulda still deh waiting,” Smith reasoned.
The current unit set up by the Joint Services is said to be intelligence driven, and taking into consideration the sentiments of Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee that the Police are too defensive, the present approach has not gone down well with the man whom many regarded as a fearless cop.
“They are waiting for information. They put up $50M and still dey ain’t get nothing. You put dat money pon a man head and we de done get he,” Smith said.
“I does deh pon de road and I does see de thief man dem around town, and to me like dey does frighten me more dan dem Police now,” he added.
According to Smith, there are people who have information but are afraid to go to the Police.
He said that since the Target Special Squad was always on the road, the information was forthcoming, since people had the courage to confide in them.
Many of the old Target members were highly trained, having participated in Operation Tradewinds with success, among other exercises.
“Fraser get shoot, Merai get shoot, I get shoot, and we still went out deh and fight de criminals. We survive fuh six years as a squad. De Force ain’t gat combatants now,” Gangsta explained.
He said that when everyone thought that the elimination of noted criminals like Dale Moore, Mark Fraser, Shawn Brown, Romel Reman and Shawn Gittens would end the problem, underlings like Rondell ‘Fine Man’ Rawlins were overlooked, and this is proving to be to the detriment of the security forces and the nation as a whole.
“What the new Commissioner (Winston Felix) shoulda do was to continue de fight against de foot soldiers and prevent dese people from getting so big now; but, instead, dey lef dem and dey grow up, and look wha happening now. Dey turn professionals now. Dey get more ruthless and more cruel,” Gangsta suggested.
It is widely believed that Rawlins is the mastermind of the massacres that occurred earlier this year at Lusignan and Bartica, and the Police have linked his gang to the recent attack on the East La Penitence Police Station.
“If de President want fuh call me out and give me de wuk, I would do it.
But de last time we get used. When we done close dem off I personally would come off and throw back, because we woulda done prove we point,” Smith told this newspaper.
“No more children ain’t gat fuh dead, and de Police wouldn’t gat fuh bar up dey station,” Smith added.
Regarding the Lusignan killings, Gangsta, whose daughter was riddled with 11 bullets by a now dead Buxton gunman, told this newspaper that if it had occurred during the time of the Target Special Squad, Commissioner Laurie Lewis would have instructed them to go out there and don’t come back until the perpetrators were brought to justice.
“We woulda get de full power fuh tek dem out,” he said.
According to Smith, the plan that involves experts from Britain training local Police may not work since, he argued, what is transpiring in Guyana is not in keeping with what obtains in that part of the world.
“We gat bannas with AK-47, while dey dealing with terrorists and bombs. Nobody don’t massacre people and children in England with AK-47. Dey (British) fail in Jamaica and Trinidad and gon waste time hey,” Smith said.
Regarding the killing of cops, Gangsta said that this is a situation that he never thought would get so out of hand.
“Yeah, dey could kill de cop, yes, but dem gat fuh dead! Whoever kill de cop, dem gon dead!” he said.
Smith said, however, that the Target Special Squad had always followed the Police rules of engagement, although they have been accused of extra judicial killings.
He added that the members of the unit were cognizant of the fact that they would be placed before the courts for any killing they committed.
He believes that the longer the security forces take to eliminate the current threat, the longer the children of tomorrow will not be able to live in peace.   
The Police have acknowledged that there is need for an elite Police unit, and already plans are in train to establish such a unit.
Whether Gangsta is given a chance to prove his bravery and competence will be another story