Hicken upbraids cops for “embarrassing” Police Force by fighting with civilians

Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken has called on police officers especially traffic ranks to follow established operational procedures when they are out in the field.

His charge comes on the heels of two ranks caught on video in a fight with two civilians – an incident which the Top Cop said could have been avoided.

Addressing senior ranks of the Guyana Police Force at the opening of the Inspectors’ and Sergeants’ Conference 2025 on Wednesday morning, Commissioner Hicken underscored the importance of balancing enforcement with compassion.

According to the Top Cop, officers need to follow the established protocols in place.

“Risk assessment is your policy. When you get out there, it cannot be two on two – it cannot be. It has to be four or six police to two people. And that is why we have the SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) with the Operation Room.”

“When you go out there, you do a threat assessment and you call to the Operational Room. Don’t wait until you start fighting and things get out of hand, and then you begging [for] help. You are embarrassing the Force when you do that,” Hicken posited.

The Police Commissioner went onto say to the senior ranks that issues like this should be “ironed out” during the two-day conference.

In a previous statement on the issue, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) distanced itself from the officers’ actions while also warning against attacks on law enforcement officers.

The police force acknowledged that the conduct of its ranks was under review but emphasised that members of the public should not assault officers in the execution of their duties. The GPF further stated that the footage from the incident would be used to assess and improve training within the Traffic Department.