Latest update February 14th, 2025 8:22 AM
Police to monitor key ports of entry in Berbice for festive season
…Division short 231 ranks
By Leon Suseran
In an effort to curb criminal activity during the upcoming Christmas season, police in Berbice plan to increase patrol and monitoring of several key ports of entry.
A priority will be the 24-hour monitoring of the Berbice River Bridge; New Amsterdam, Rosignol and Moleson Creek Ferry Terminals, as well as the popular illegal port of entry/disembarkation, the Suriname ‘BackTrack’ crossings. But the Divisional Commander of ‘B’ Division, Assistant Commissioner Brian Joseph bemoaned the fact that the division is short of over 200 police ranks. He was making a presentation of the annual plans for security in Berbice for the upcoming festive season.
However, this will not deter his team from the job that they have set out for them in the coming weeks. The police, Joseph said, intend to use a number of methods including continuous mobile patrols; road blocks; cordon and searches; intelligence gathering; and intensified traffic patrols. Riverain patrols in Berbice River and Canje Creek will take place “as far as possible”, he added.
Senior ranks listening to the Commander as he made his presentation
The various pay offices of the Guyana Sugar Corporation at the estates will be key monitoring sites for the police, he added.
He stated that currently, the Force in Berbice has the capacity and need for 505 ranks “but presently there are only 274 [ranks]…a shortage of 231 ranks, so you see the problem,” he said. This allocation of 505 ranks for Berbice was put in place since 1977, he added. Clearly, several years later, the demands of the force have increased, since crime- fighting has evolved into fighting piracy, trafficking in persons, patrols and traffic, “but we are prepared to work despite shortage of our human resource.”
To carry out the mandate this festive season, the police thought it fitting to have four sectors that will be managed as separate sub- geographical areas, with distinct senior police officers overseeing the management.
“We plan to monitor business places, banks, [and] other financial institutions, as well as deploy Community Policing Group (CPG) members in various communities, [and carry out] intelligence- gathering, raids,” the Commander said.
Special arrangements for Christmas Eve and Old Year’s Night at busy spots in Berbice will be in effect, through additional deployment of ranks to boost police presence in several commercial areas.
”A number of businessmen were robbed [this year] but yet we had a decrease in crime in ‘B’ Division and the police will continue to work to cause a higher decrease in crimes in Berbice,” Joseph said.
Late shopping on Christmas Eve and on Old Year’s night from 18:00 hrs to 02:00 hrs will be evident and “we are focusing on these areas and a lot of our resources will go out in these periods.”
“There will be evaluation and changes where deemed necessary. His ranks and the department are prepared to work with all stakeholders,” the official said.
“We are prepared to work with all and sundry who are interested in fighting crime and ensure that ‘B’ Division remains crime free,” the Commander said.
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