Granger Promises to Ensure Guyana is Secured Against Local and Transnational Crimes
Georgetown, Guyana – As threats to human safety and public security continue to increase in number and complexity, the Government will spare no effort and seek support to ensure that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is adequately equipped to confront and overcome these challenges at the national level and the levels of the community and the citizen.
This was the promise of President David Granger on Tuesday. He made the remarks at a ceremony to hand over vehicles and equipment valued US$2.6M, donated by the People’s Republic of China, one of Guyana’s long-standing bilateral partners. The ceremony was held at the GPF’s Sports Ground at Eve Leary.
Noting that Guyana’s security infrastructure is inadequate to meet the country’s geographical challenges, as well as the threats it faces, Granger said Government, through budgetary allocations and support from international partners has prioritised the equipping and modernising of the GPF.
“We do not have enough aerodromes. We do not have enough bridges, highways and stellings. Yet the Police Force must cover this entire country. How will it do so? The vast areas, long distances and limited communications and transportation assets available to the Police Force restrict its ability to effectively enforce the law everywhere in Guyana. We cannot have a secure country if our borders and our territory is being violated by criminal of transnational crime,” the President said.
He added, “An efficient, well-equipped and well-trained Force is needed to confront these threats to human safety. Our country must be secured against local and transnational crime and interpersonal violence.”
Recognising these challenges, the Government, with the support of the British Government, has restarted the Security Sector Reform Project, which will be implemented through a formal department in 2018 in order to implement the recommendations, which are currently being drafted.
As part of that project, the GPF will adopt a divisional structure akin to that of the regional structure of the 10 Administrative Regions in Guyana. This will allow every divisional commander to be able to relate to a Regional Democratic Council and every capital town will be the headquarters of a police division; putting an end of a system where one commander has responsibility for three interior regions as currently obtains.
“One region, one division, one division, one commander, that is how it is going to be. The Force’s efficiency will be improved further through improved management, training and the provision of more and better equipment. Your Government is committed to ensuring that the Force is given the tools to do the work it is required to do and it is in that context, therefore, that the equipment being presented today by the People’s Republic of China to the Guyana Police Force recognises the need to enhance the spatial deployment of the Force to every region in addition to respond to the specific threats to human safety,” he said.
The items handed over on Monday include 56 pickups, 44 motor cycles, 35 All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), five buses, 550 pieces of protective gear, 40 desktop and 30 laptop computers, 10 scanners, 10 printers, 10 photocopy machines, 30 decibel meters and five generating sets.
An initial donation of 30 handheld radio sets, 12 motor cycles, 48 body pack cameras with accessories, four portable power packs and two helmet mounting kits totalling some US$60,000 were handed over in November 2014 under this same programme of cooperation.
The President informed that the vehicles and equipment will be used primarily in the transportation, traffic and communication branches of the Force, the acquisition of which was a matter of high security priority for the Administration.
“I welcome the donation of communications, transportation and electricity generation equipment, which will improve the Force’s efficiency. The computers will reinforce the communications network between stations and headquarters; the vehicles will improve the ability of law-enforcement officers to travel to crime scenes and to conduct patrols. The Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana thanks the Government of the People’s Republic of China for its assistance over the years. The Government and the Force are deeply grateful for the provision of equipment and machinery,” he said.
