It was an uphill road in my short struggle to becoming a police officer. If I was a man, who did not have a fight in me; I would have never been awarded the wonderful opportunity and the esteem privilege to serve the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the capacity of a police officer and thus make a contribution to nation building in this area. The training program was an easy one and it posed no physical or intellectual challenged to me. In that I excelled in every aspect of the police training program.
One afternoon, I was summoned to the commandant of training: Mr. ASP Christopher’s office, because he discovered, I did not want to and I was not making any preparatory effort to participate in the finals of the events I qualify for. To make and participate in such events increases ones chances to be the best recruit to whom the commissioner’s baton is awarded. I qualified for the self-defense finals, best kit finals, best Jill finals and I was always in the top three or four students academically. I did not want to participate or compete for the top spot, because I knew; the police authorities, were not going to give that spot to a Bottom Town man. and it would not have mattered if I actually won that award by a landslide.
This was evident by what Superintendent Osborne Quow said, when he came to visit and speak to the class of which I was a student, at the Police Training School. Mr. Osborne Quow was a Superintendent of Police (SOP); he was the most feared senior officer within the police force. By his actions, he was the self appointed chief disciplinarian in the organization.
There were tow side to Mr. Quow's disciplinary actions: on one hand, it was good for maintaining a high standard of discipline to Safeguard the order that was required to ensure the institution be effective and the community is properly served. On the other hand, it was unfortunate because, SOP Quow, took the disciplining of the men and women, to the point where, he literally became a bully to some of the men; and in some instance could have be categorized as a blatant abusing his power.
The police force is an adult organization, which is also a male dominated organization. It was a shame to see grown men; fathers and husbands and a lot of the police officers, who pretended to be bad men on the street; were literally struck with fear and trembled at the mentioned the name of Mr. Quow.
The superintendent literally had his own police force within the force. Those people who were closely associated with Mr. Quow, could not do any wrong; they did and said as they liked and they were above the supervision of their supervisors and there was nothing anyone could have done about it. His men were also assured of quick promotion and in some case, they had to contribute financially, and on a monthly basis for the unjust promotion they were given.
I will attempt to give you an idea of just how fared Mr. Quow was and the level of fear he instills in the members of the force. Once there was an incident in the community of Barrouallie, where a violent mentally deranged man bearing a machete in his hand, ran into an occupied house. When the occupants of the house saw the crazy man whom they knew, they all run out of the house, leaving a sleeping six months old baby behind asleep and undisturbed by the commotion which brought the police to the scene. When the police arrived to the scene, the police recognized the man to be a violent man when he was in a mentally declined state. From the looks of things, the man have already reached to that state where he was violent.
Sergeant (Sgt.) Walker was the senior officer on the scene and an assessment of the scene; it was concluded by all involved that the situation was too dangerous, for the local police in the community to handle. This was because of their limited training and the limited resources they had access to. As a result, Sgt. Walker called his unofficial Commandant SOP Quow, and he updated him on the state of the affairs and requested that he (Mr. Quow) dispatch the Special Service Unit to deal with the matter.
Mr. Quow said to Mr. Walker whilst on the phone, using his unique pitch and voice: “Walker Get the child! Walker I say to get the child! Mr. Walker said ok Sir! Sgt. Walker hanged up the phone and even though he was untrained in such art, the Sergeant functioned with greater skills than a tactical specialist. Immediately, the petrified Sergeant found a means how to and got into the house undetected, once in the house, Mr. Walker crawled on his belly to where the child was, he retrieved the sleeping child from off the bed on which the child lay unaware of the danger that had forcefully became a tenant occupying the house where he so peacefully lay.
After Sgt. Walker retrieved the sleeping child from the bed on which it peacefully lay. Sgt. Walker then retraced his crawl, this time he was carefully carrying the precious package in his hand: the six months old baby. It is only God alone that knows, why that child did not wake up during the whole event, of being moved and carry, or why he did not cough, sneezed, cry, or just say gu-gu as most babies does even while the sleep. Thus, alerting the mentally deranged man of Sgt. Walker’s helpless presence. But thank God the baby did not make a sound to betray his rescuer’s undetected presence. As a result, Sgt. Walker exited the house, unknowing to the mentally deranged man who was in the same bedroom.
When Mr. Quow showed up to address the class at the Police Training School, the entire training staff was on edge. He did two things, that made it clear to me that I was not wanted and therefore, will not be given the top award upon completion of the program. The first thing he did during his speech, was to looked at me, pointed me out, asked me my name and declared, your eyes look like you smokes Marijuana.
When Mr. Quow said that, I looked at him with a tense smiled that distorted my lips and I shook my head from left to right in sympathy for the man and his remarks. I wanted him to get a message, that I was not afraid of him and his prejudicial remarks. Then he went on to say, I know most of you have set your hopes on going to specific department, but that is not how it is here. You will be placed where you are needed not where you want to go. I suspected that his reason for visiting and his little pointless chat was aimed at me.
Such remarks, like the Marijuana smoking remark, when made by Mr. Quow, took on a life of its own and normally follows a police officer throughout his or her entire career. It was also the beginning of a police career with a target on one’s back. As in the case of Maxwell Springer, an intelligent young police officer, that most of the management of the police though was an intellectual threat to their existence.
A target that exposes one to suspicion and ill treatment, by all especially the members of Mr. Quow’s force. Later an instructor at the training school tried to use Mr. Quow’s remark against me, starting the expected trend. I quickly, put that to rest by telling the instructor, who cares what Mr. Quow say, is Mr. Quow God. Unknowingly I struck a chord of reality, that put that instructor in check. That was the last time I have ever hear that remark again.
After a lengthy debate with Commandant Christopher, he rationally, went against my suggestion, which was to let one of the other guys who really wanted to participate in the various competitions, get the opportunity too, by taking my place. Mr. Christopher said, you have to remember this is training, I have to follow the rules, so you can get an idea of what will be expects of you in the police world, and another thing he said in sticking to his decision. The other people who will like to be in the finals did not qualify for the finals; you did!
I was correct in my assessment, because even after a stellar all round performance in training school, qualifying for all of the competitive finals, and placing 3rd or 4th overall academically, I was sent to the transportation division where my responsibility was to be a police driver. While there were a few people on the program who have never passed a weekly test or the final exam; were sent to specialized department.
I graduated, and I left the Police Training School and I was now assigned to the Transport Division at the Central Police Station in Kingstown. Across the yard from the Transport office in the second floor of the Victorian building that is a part of the police compound at the Central Police Station was Mr. Quow’s office. From his office he can see everything that goes on in the common area. Every now and then you can see him opening the window to his office, where he will call someone of shout some order to someone.
Grown men sitting on the bench in the yard will get up from their seat and literally run because they did not want to be seen by Mr. Quow. Because to be seen by him, may mean some form of punishment, a day off or a weekend forfeited, even an instantaneous transfer. In my mind it was demeaning to see my colleagues so afraid of a man. I personally never felt the urge to ran at the presence of Mr. Quow and I did not run; I will just walk away after everyone have speedily abandon me or I will remain sitting were I was.
My lack of reverence for him annoyed My Quow, and he opened his book of intimidator tactics, and began his little game to instill fear in me. In the morning when Mr. Quow arrived to work, there was a police officer already waiting to meet him in his assigned garage, to open his car door for him, take his flask and Brief case from his car and take them to his office.
On such a mornings when he knows I was working, as if he did not know who is working at the transport division; he will slyly ask who is working at transport this morning, he will summon me to the vehicles that was assigned to the transport division and complain about something and instruct me to get it done.
If he sees me in the yard he will quickly leave his office to accost me in the yard, and find something to criticized, because I was always neatly dress and clean, there was hardly anything about my appearance for him to attack. If he did not see any pen in my pocket, he will say Palmer where are your pens; and if I did not have any pens on me at that point and time he will make a big deal out of thing like that.
I was determined to stop this regular accosting and foolish nagging was getting too overbearing and a lot of people noticed it. At the time I did not know what was happening and what was hoped to be gained by Mr. Quow’s attitude towards me. This had became a trend and I accidentally overheard some NCO's speaking about what Mr. Quow was doing and why he was doing it.
However, what I did know was; I was not going to be washing any police officer personal car, I was not going to be demeaning myself by running like the others whenever they saw Mr. Quow, and I was not going to become one of Mr. Quow’s errand boys that spend their days off on his farm or running other errand for Mr. Quow.
I was getting teed off at Mr. Quow’s behaviors toward me, I needed a solution and I needed one quickly. And then I got an idea. It was the only course of action I could have think of. The following morning, I got up early, I complete all of my responsibility to hand over to the next shift. I began to clean a transport right in the area of Mr. Quow’s assigned parking space. I was cleaning that transport for almost an hour. No one knew what I was up to but I was there waiting patiently for Mr. Quow to get to work. I did not intend to leave that spot until I have executed my plan.
While there, I saw one of the officer on duty at the Fire Department, sprang to his feet and hurriedly open the gate to the fire station; the entrance where Mr. Quow normally enter the police premises. This could only mean one thing, Mr. Quow have arrived to work. He was the only senior officer who demanded such, service. Mr. William Harry did not demand such reverence and he was the Deputy Commissioner of Police, and neither did Mr. Randolph Toussaint who was the Police Chief.
I was still keeping a visual on the gate; I wanted to know the exact time of Mr. Quow’s arrival. Still pretending to be washing the vehicle, I saw a familiar car drove slowly into the drive way passing the gate that gives access to the police compound. Mr. Quow was in love with the accolades of his post. As a result, he stopped his car, to ensure the police officer who opened the gate in order for him to enter on to the police compound, pay him his tribute with a salute.
After which, he drove his car slowly up to the area of the reception desk of the Fire Department and stop there, to ensure the None Commission Officer on duty there, called the men at the fire department to the attention position; while the NCO offers him a tribute in the form of a salute. The initial tributes was important to the superintendent to begin his day. If one thing does not go as Mr. Quow expected it to; everyone was going to have a bad day especially those who messed up.
I watch as Mr. Quow car drove up the little incline that lead from the gate, then across the yard and into the parking area that was reserve for him under the over hang of new Criminal Investigation Department building. By this time, his orderly was on his way over to collect his brief case and his Termus; Whose responsibility it was to take them to his office. This morning I beat the orderly to Mr. Quow’s Car, I politely open the door to his car, as his orderly would have down. I saw a victorious smile erupted on my Quow’s face, as if to say, I think Palmer is actually coming around to how we do things here.
I stood at the side of the car that leads out of the parking garage while Mr. Quow existed the car, there was nowhere from him to go; there was a concrete column that blocked his way and I was standing in the only way out of the area. Looking at him directly into his eyes with no sign of weakness, I said "Mr. Quow I want to have a word with you."
Mr. Quow was still wearing the smile of victory on his face; then said, "what do you want Palmer." Still maintaining eye contact I said to him, ever since, I came to work here, each time you see me, you have something negative to say to me. I want you to tell me what have I done to you or what have I done wrong. Mr. Quow was taken aback, and the confident smile he had on his face, immediately disappeared and it was replaced with a look of shock and disbelieve, at what he was hearing. He looked at me confused.
No one was ever been brave enough to confront Mr. Quow about such things before. For the first time since I got to know Mr. Quow, the always loud, always vocal Superintendent, who struck fear into the hearts of grown man was at a loss for words. From his reaction you could see Mr. Quow look for words to justify his behavior toward me but his mind betray him.
By this time his orderly observing the confrontation, quickly grab what he came for and disappeared. He did not want to be a witness to what was taking place. Mr. Quow was still stumbling over his tongue, trying to find the right words to justify his behaviors towards me. His lips were making efforts to move but they were only quivering; they were froze, leaving his mouth in the open position and they did not really move; and nothing come out of his mouth.
Then suddenly I saw movement of his lips and I actually heard words. the words said "Palmer just do what is right and fear no man”. I quickly reply: what is what I was doing all the while but you were still picking on me for no reason at all. Then Mr. Quow said to me well continue to do what is right and fear no man. I quickly reply Ok Sir, I will. I moved out of his way, then Mr Quow, reached into his car took out his cane and cap proceed to walk to his office as if nothing have just happened.
It was not my last encounter with Mr. Quow, but it was the last time, Mr. Quow ever picked on me for absolutely no reason. This was the beginning of a wonderful experience in the police force. This is what happens when you beat the bully.
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