2014…Security sector advanced its reforms
Written by Gina Webmasters, Published in News, Georgetown, GINA, December 31, 2014, Source - GINA
Securing the safety of citizens through combating crimes, has been a major priority since the ascension to government of the People’s Progressive Party Civic, and not only has tremendous sums of money been spent on equipping the Guyana Police Force (GPF), but also ensuring that it acquires critically essential investigative and crime solving capabilities.
Government, in 2014, continued to fulfil this national obligation of protecting its citizenry and safeguarding their property by continuing many programmes and improving the legislative framework to address the emerging challenges. Among the gains realised were the commissioning of the long-awaited forensic laboratory and the operationalising of the Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) team.
President Donald Ramotar hands over keys to vehicles donated by China to Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Mark Phillips
Enhanced digital forensic abilities
Outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment and highly specialised evidence, the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory is the latest, in a series of national developmental projects brought into fruition after significant investments and a strong political resolve to enhance the country’s capacity to better address issues of security and crime fighting.
This $1.049B edifice, which came in line in July of 2014, now provides the opportunity for enhanced investigation by the local law enforcement department in crime and the prosecution of offenders, by providing quality, scientific evidence and expert testimony.
The ministry is currently focusing on training of the staff to facilitate ISO certification and testing and evidence.
The Police Force Forensic Laboratory
Other high-tech crime fighting technologies
In addition to enhancing its digital forensic abilities, the security sector now has other new, additional high tech, crime fighting equipment. Some purchases were made possible with funds provided through the budget, earmarked for crime fighting items and strategies. Others were financed through international support from donor foundations.
Two new technologies helping the fight against crime include an Automated Fingerprint Identification System that allows for rapid identification of finger prints from crime scenes and three fast patrol metal shark boats. The latter being used by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard was provided by the United States under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI).
Elite team
The year also witnessed 26 carefully handpicked officers becoming the country’s first formalised SWAT unit, moving the country closer towards the goal of developing a professional GPF capable of adapting to modern crime trends. This new unit of elite officers better positions the Force to make specialised interventions, thereby, ensuring the maintenance of law and order.
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee and Police Commissioner (ag), Seelall Persaud with police officers who completed the Junior Officers course
More training
Other officers also benefitted from several rounds of training, both locally and overseas. Overseas training was conducted in areas such as Leadership, Management and Development, Money Laundering, Fingerprint, Intelligence, Kidnapping, Travel Document and Security and Security and Extortion Negotiation, and was made possible through collaboration between the GPF and its regional counterparts.
Other new changes
The year 2014 also saw Cabinet giving the nod to increase the Force’s strength, moving from 3410 to 4956 ranks commensurate with the demands of Guyana’s significantly changed security environment. Also approved was an increase in complement for the special constabulary from 322 to 968.
Recruitment during the year saw the Force improve its human capacity by 161 ranks, and its traffic department welcomed its first all-female batch of newly trained traffic wardens. Additionally, the number of data entry clerks recruited, to support the Force’s Integrated Crime Information System was boosted to 81. Covering Divisions A to F, these clerks are essential to the capturing electronic data to allow for analysis for operational and policy decision making.
Also embraced in 2014 was a change of management leadership, as on April 1, following the retirement of Police Commissioner, Leroy Brummel, the Force’s management was handed over to Deputy Commissioner and former Crime Chief, Seelall Persaud. The Force also got a new legal advisor, former Justice of Appeal, Claudette Singh.
Meanwhile, the ‘E’ and ‘F’ Division was delinked and now function as separate Divisions. The Force continued its implementation of its Strategic plan, with 2014 witnessing the filling of the vacancies of three staff of the Strategic Management Department that resigned in 2013 and the hiring of a consultant to conduct a management audit to assess the state of the implementation of this plan.
The Force celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2014. In keeping with a tradition that was started in 1990, it hosted award ceremonies to recognise ranks who served the institution with distinction and who have lived up to the Force’s mandate of providing service and protection. Over 1,300 officers, inspectors and other ranks received monetary awards totalling approximately $12.3M.
Youths and conflict
In 2014, the Force continued a number of projects to foster good policing relations and encourage trust including continuing its collaboration with faith-based organisations and NGOs to launch impact projects in vulnerable communities such as Albouystown and Tiger Bay.
Meanwhile, the Cops and Faith Network, supported by the religious community, saw the Force making 100 interventions involving 49 males and 47 female juveniles between the ages of 7 and 10 for offences such as assaults, throwing of missiles, simple larceny, wandering and using indecent language and threatening behaviour.
Protecting prisoners’ human rights
For the Guyana Prison Service (GPS), in 2014, a total of 43 Standing Orders were developed to guide officers and ranks with respect to their conduct in the execution of their duties.
The service also benefitted from new management, as Welton Trotz was appointed, Director of Prisons and Carl Graham, Deputy Director of Prisons, as well as from the supply of equipment and training of officers. The latter was supported by the establishment of Training, Sentence Management, Recruitment, Parole and Agriculture Development Boards.
The Strategic Management Department of the GPS was also established in 2014 and the vacancies for Technical Officer, Prison Management, Technical Officer, Planning, Research and Mobilisation and Senior Policy Analyst were filled.
Following beefed-up security infrastructure, (cameras, monitors and electronic scanners at all prison locations), complemented by regular body searches of both inmates and officers, there was increase in detection of illegal drugs entering prisons.
Improvement were also made to the Lusignan Prison to provide better accommodation facilities for prisoners in keeping with the Ministry of Home Affairs’ policy of having a secure environment for prisoners while at the same time protecting their human rights.
Challenges
In 2014 there were five escapees, four of whom were recaptured. There were two incidents to note, one at the New Amsterdam Prison and the other at the Mazaruni prison.
The prisons also continued to suffer from overcrowding.
Fire Safety
In 2014, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) marked its 40th fire prevention observance under the theme ‘Fire Safety, a national priority, get involved’. The Service engaged members of the public on the importance of fire safety with exhibitions outside of its headquarters at the Stabroek Market square and at the National Park. It received close to 1200 calls of fire, a 14 percent increase from 2013.
The Service did however, benefit from 10 fire fighting vehicles from the People’s Republic of China, which allowed for better response time to these incidents. Several ambulances were also bought as government continues to institute the changes necessary to complement its effort to rename the GFS the Guyana Fire and Rescue Service.
The Guyana Fire Service received this ambulance from the Home Affairs Ministry in 2014
Training in 2014 would have also favoured the renaming and officers were trained in first aide and emergency care, road trafficking and rescue.
During the year under review, Cabinet granted approval for an additional 84 places in the authorised strength of the Service, bringing the total number to 511. This increase provides for the requisite strength to manage the new fire stations that were constructed at Bartica, Diamond and Onverwagt.
Challenges
The GFS’s challenges continue to be the large number of derelict buildings and the acts of malicious setting of fires.
Tackling illicit drug use
The issue of illicit drug use and trafficking is one that is not unique to Guyana and as such; the country continues to partner with various organisations to help fight the scourge.
In June, Government welcomed the news that a United States (US) Drug Enforcement Authority (DEA) country office in Guyana was given congressional go ahead. In August, Guyana sent a strong signal to drug traffickers that its law agencies are on the alert and are very active, following the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit’s (CANU) interception of a Self-Propelled Semi-Submersible (SPSS) vessel.
In 2014, Government also collaborated with the Organisation of American States to host a two-day Sub-Regional Meeting of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission.
CANU’s total drug seizure for 2014 is comparative with that of 2013 with a total of over 97kg of cocaine and over1223 kg of cannabis with a significant increase in seizure on the latter over 2013.
An effort to enhance the Unit’s operational plans for 2015, saw Cabinet in 2014 granting approval for the restructuring of the Unit, for an increase in the number of persons to be employed with a pay scale adjustment.
Universal birth registration
In 2014 the General Register Office (GRO) visited all the regions with significant work done in areas such as Soesdyke/Linden, Kato, Kabakaburi, Chiung Mouth, Itabali and Batavia among others.
With the re-introduction of bedside birth registration, especially at public institutions, registration increased significantly and in 2014 the office received 1,382 affidavits to effect correction to birth records and 375 Court Orders. The year also saw the commencement of the process of computerising GRO.
Interpersonal violence and safety
There was also a focus on domestic violence with the Home Affairs Ministry convening its first meeting of a national committee to address this.
The National Commission on Law and Order (NCLO) also embarked on a series of consultations with residents to discuss public safety issues. A number of meetings and discussions were also held on the noise nuisance and traffic congestion caused by music cart vendors, and in this regard the Force launched a campaign against these vendors.
Meanwhile, efforts to manage traffic in and around Georgetown saw the NCLO taking the decision to divide Georgetown into four quadrants: North West, North East, South East and South West.
Fuel smuggling and contraband
The Task Force on Fuel Smuggling and Contraband in 2014 continued to forge ahead with its mandate of coordinating the activities of its constituent members to effectively curb smuggling of fuel and contraband. Among the specific actions embarked on by this Task Force in 2014 was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to facilitate the joint use of the GDF’s Floating Patrol Base which is located in the Pomeroon River. The task force continued to monitor and guide the implementation of the amendment of the Immigration Regulations which resulted in Eteringbang, Charity, Parika and Ogle being designated official ports of entry.
Guyana Defence Force's metal shark boats
Trafficking in Persons
Focus on Trafficking in Persons (TIP) saw the introduction of a new action plan which will be implemented in a two-year period (2014-2015). It seeks to reduce vulnerability especially among youths to the lure of traffickers, expand on sensitisation and awareness, broaden the involvement of civil society, counteracting traffickers, strengthen law enforcement response and ultimately eliminate TIP.
The TIP Task Force also conducted a number of awareness and sensitisation sessions throughout all the administrative regions with a focus on Region Nine. Sessions were conducted in 59 secondary schools, reaching a total of 600 students, as well as with members of the Guyana Police Force in Bartica.
The Task Force also met with US State Department officials, exchanging of views and information on the issue of human trafficking.
Guyana Police Force's new patrol boat
Complaints against Police
For the year 2014, the Police Complaints Authority received approximately 243 written complaints, into which investigations were launched.
House of Justice
A total of 596 persons in Regions 2 and 3, benefitted from the services of the House of Justice.
Community Policing
With a membership of over 5200 citizens across the country, the Community Policing Organisation of Guyana celebrated 38 years of voluntary service in 2014, with several activities.
Community Policing Groups received much needed items including uniforms, motor cycles, boats, brush cutters and vehicles to aid their efforts in empowering their communities.
Strays
In an effort to rid the roadways of stray animals and to make it a safer zone for traffic and citizens, the Ministry’s stray catcher unit impounded 3650 animals. This represents a 7.6 percent decrease from 2013, when the unit impounded a total of 4434 animals.
Road deaths
In relation to traffic, 2014 witnessed a 30 percent increase in road fatalities. There were 135 fatal accidents resulting in 146 deaths in 2014 as against 103 fatal accidents and 112 deaths in 2013.
Police Traffic Department gets new motorcyles
Legislation
2014 also saw government passing three security legislations critical to the reform of the security sector. These are the Evidence (Amendment) Bill No. 23 of 2013, the Summary Jurisdiction Procedure Act and the Firearms (Amendment) Bill.
The Evidence (Amendment) Bill expands the range of documents/reports that can be admitted as evidence while the Summary Jurisdiction Bill improves the traffic ticketing by allowing a person who is issued with a traffic ticket for an offence to pay the prescribed penalty to the clerk of the court of any magisterial district, regardless of where the offence was committed. The Firearms (Amendment) Bill is a law on gun control that makes it harder for criminals to obtain weapons, and is expected to see fewer criminals using weapons.
Crime
For 2014, the country recorded a drop in serious crimes. In 2013 from January 1 to December 22, 4022 serious crimes were reported while for the same period in 2014, 3478 serious crimes were reported to the Police.
Among the serious crimes policed by the Force are murder, robbery under arms, robbery with violence, robbery with aggravation, larceny from the person, break and enter and larceny, burglary, rape, and kidnapping.
The Ministry of Home Affairs in 2014 had tabled Bills in the National Assembly seeking to rename the institution to reflect its new mandate from the GPF to the Guyana Police Service, the GPS to the Guyana Prison and Correctional Service and the GFS to Guyana Fire and Rescue Service. However, these bills which will be re-tabled, like many others, did not find favour with the political Opposition.