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Police detail plans for Christmas season
‘A’ Division Commander George Vyphuis
By Latoya Giles
Divisional Commander George Vyphuis, addressing the Guyana Police Force annual pre-Christmas press briefing yesterday, announced that policing groups will be intensified throughout the season.
The plan gets into gear from November 15 and continues to January 15, 2011. The aim is to ensure that citizens carry out their activities in a safe and secure environment.
Assistant Commissioner Vyphuis said that it is expected that there would be an increase in commercial activities in the city and its environs. As such, his division would have to up the ante.
He also said that there would also be an increase in traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian.
The commander said that it is the intention of the police to reduce criminal activities, traffic accidents and congestion around the city.
Crime statistics 2009- 2010 to present:
Commenting on the crime situation, Vyphuis said that there has been a 10.4 percent decrease in crime in ‘A’ Division for this year.
He explained that last year the division recorded 2,079 crimes for the corresponding period. Vyphuis said that this year that figure has decreased to 1,862. He also noted that his division has been able to seize 35 illegal firearms more than last year. He credited the success mainly to the community relations his ranks have developed, their intelligence work, the various strategic road blocks and stop and search and raids.
Achievements
so far…
With the heightened presence of the police, Vyphuis said that his division has had some noteworthy achievements.
He explained that last March, during a policing exercise on East Bank Demerara, ranks were able to find a firearm that one of the occupants threw out of the vehicle. The matter is still pending in court.
In May two ranks were on foot patrol, when they arrested a man with an unlicensed .32 pistol.
Vyphuis further told the media that in August, bandits grabbed $1.5M from a Supply, East Coast Demerara family. However, due to good intelligence work the police recovered the articles.
In October, ranks at the No. 4 Sub-Division acting on information, raided two marijuana fields and eradicated over 14,000 marijuana plants.
Vyphuis also recalled that on October 31, last, after armed men attacked and robbed persons on the Georgetown Seawall, the report was circulated using the force’s radio network. Ranks from the Alberttown Police Station quickly responded and one person was apprehended.
Challenges
The commander said that like any other society the police would always be confronted by challenges.
One major challenge is despite resources being placed into police stations in terms of facilitating witnesses in identifying suspects, many are still reluctant to come forward.
Another challenge, he said, is victims failing to give accurate descriptions of motor cars used in crimes – in terms of colour and registration number – to the police.
The commander further outlined a strategic plan which is aimed at enhancing the confidence within the commercial sectors and “shopping” public, (tourist and overseas-based visitors).
He said that the force would heighten special operations by C.I.D and intelligence section at the Banks.
There would also be an increase in police patrols around the city, zeroing in on the Georgetown Prisons, major hotels, nightspots and post offices.
The commander said that special attention will be paid to noise nuisance, which is a zero-tolerance in the force.
Vyphuis said that the establishment of an additional Marine Section at Supply, East Bank Demerara, would continue.
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