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The '''Mongoose Gang''' was a  [[private army]] or [[militia]] which operated from 1970 to 1979 under the control of Sir [[Eric Gairy]], the [[List of heads of government of Grenada|Premier]] and later [[Prime Minister of Grenada|Prime Minister]] of [[Grenada]], and head of the [[Grenada United Labour Party]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/COLDgairy.htm|title=Eric Gairy : Biography|accessdate=2013-10-08}}</ref>  

Officially, Mongoose Gang members were called Special Reserve Police (S.R.P.) or Volunteer Constables.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thegrenadarevolutiononline.com/bloodymonday.html|title=BLOODY MONDAY, or the "Battle of St. George's" 21 January 1974|accessdate=2017-06-06}}</ref> Therefore, the terms "police aides" and "Mongoose Gang" were sometimes used synonymously and interchangeably; although it should be added that the names of certain persons were unmistakably identified as members of the Mongoose Gang as distinct from also being police aides.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thegrenadarevolutiononline.com/duffus56thru57.html|title=Report of the Duffus Commission of Inquiry into the Breakdown of Law & Order, and Police Brutality in Grenada|accessdate=2017-06-05}}</ref> At the 1975 Duffus Commission of Inquiry into the Breakdown of Law & Order, and Police Brutality in Grenada, Nugent David, a former Commissioner of Police, confirmed that a group of men known as the Mongoose Gang were among the police aides. To his knowledge, Moslyn Bishop and his brother Willie Bishop were reputedly leaders of the gang.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thegrenadarevolutiononline.com/duffus67.html|title=Report of the Duffus Commission of Inquiry into the Breakdown of Law & Order, and Police Brutality in Grenada|accessdate=2017-06-05}}</ref>  

According to David the police aides were under his jurisdiction because they assisted the police with their duties although they were not recruited normally as policemen who were required to undergo tests for educational and physical fitness; but they were paid through the office of the Commissioner. David said he did not know how or by whom the recruitment of police aides was done except that he knew the recruitment took place in [[St. George's, Grenada|St. George's]] and that after he assumed the post of acting commissioner of Police he heard from policemen that the men were selected by the Premier, Eric Gairy. As he understood the functions of the police aides, their main duties were guard duties and at times they assisted the police in searches, but they were subject to no discipline or control similar to that of the Police Force nor were any regulations ever made with respect to them. He added that in his knowledge none of the police aides was issued with firearms although he knew that some of them possessed and carried firearms on guard duty.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thegrenadarevolutiononline.com/duffus60thru62.html|title=Report of the Duffus Commission of Inquiry into the Breakdown of Law & Order, and Police Brutality in Grenada|accessdate=2017-06-06}}</ref>  

The Mongoose Gang was responsible for silencing critics,<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/223562/Sir-Eric-Matthew-Gairy Sir Eric Matthew Gairy (prime minister of Grenada) - Encyclopædia Britannica<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> breaking up demonstrations and murdering opponents of the Gairy regime, including [[Rupert Bishop]], the father of [[Maurice Bishop]] in January 1974. Maurice Bishop himself was beaten by members of the Mongoose Gang two months previously, in Nov(contracted; show full)seats, whilst the opposition People's Alliance (a coalition of the New Jewel Movement, the [[Grenada National Party]] and the United People's Party) won the remainder. However, the elections were marred by fraud (and branded fraudulent by international observers), as the Mongoose Gang had been threatening the opposition.<ref name=N1>[[Dieter Nohlen|Nohlen, D]] (2005) ''Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I'', p301-302 {{ISBN|978-0-19-928357-6}}</ref>
  

By 1977 Gairy began receiving advice from General [[Augusto Pinochet]] of [[Chile]] on how to deal with civil unrest. His police and military also received "counter insurgency" training from the Pinochet regime. The New Jewel Movement retaliated by developing links with [[Fidel Castro]] and his Marxist government in [[Cuba]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://spartacus-educational.com/COLDgairy.htm|title=Eric Gairy|accessdate=2016-06-01}}</ref>

(contracted; show full)== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=980OYZ6M7k0 Video: GRENADA POLICE - Reporter statement about Grenadian police]
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}

[[Category:History of 
British Grenada]]
[[Category:Private armies]]
[[Category:Paramilitary organisations based in Grenada]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1970]]
[[Category:Political repression]]