Guyana Police Force is free from political control – Rohee

Apr 09, 2014 News

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– APNU not impressed  

Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee has dismissed suggestions that the Guyana Police Force is being politically controlled.
Delivering a fiery presentation during the 2014 Budget Debate in the National Assembly, Rohee said that what obtains now in the security sector is a far cry from what occurred under the regime of the People’s National Congress (PNC).

“The fact is that the Guyana Police Force, being the foremost law enforcement agency in this country, notwithstanding all the bashing…it is free from political control as it used to be in the past,” Rohee declared.
This was in direct reference to what many feel is the widely held belief that the Guyana Police Force is being used as a political tool, under the direct control of the Minister of Home Affairs.
According to Rohee, there were days in the past when persons opposed to the government were pulled off planes and prevented from leaving Guyana. This prompted heckling from the Opposition side that Guyana has become a police state.
During his hour-long debate contribution, Rohee also quoted from published documents which referred to instances when it was alleged that orders were issued for the military personnel to shore up numbers at the major events such as party congresses of the then ruling PNC.
At this point in Rohee’s presentation, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Basil Williams rose on a point of order, claiming that Rohee was breaching Standing Order 41 (1), since his presentation was not relevant to the issue that was engaging the National Assembly.
Speaker Raphael Trotman interjected and, quoting from Standing Order 71 (2) which deals with financial procedures, reminded the House that “the debate shall be confined to the financial and economic state of the country and the general principles of government policy and administration as indicated in the budget speech.”
Trotman noted that while several speakers throughout the debate had taken some latitude with their presentations, the House must ensure that the debate is confined in keeping with Article 71(2).
He then cautioned the Minister that he would be monitoring the continuation of his presentation.
But although this was acknowledged by Rohee, he continued his forceful presentation, pointing out to the National Assembly that he was merely making a comparison with what obtained in the security sector under the previous regime.
According to Rohee, any talk of national security must be recognised within the context of what is taking place now in the world and one should not only focus on crime, which is only one aspect of national security.
“In those days….the degree and scale of issues such as money laundering was totally non-existent. Drug trafficking was virtually non-existent. Gun-running, piracy, human trafficking, domestic violence, if those things existed in those days, Mr. Speaker, it was miniscule, and did not warrant the attention as they do now,” Rohee told the National Assembly.
In direct contrast to the earlier presentation made by Shadow Home Affairs Minister, Winston Felix of APNU, Rohee spoke of the tremendous changes that are taking place within the security sector, with specific emphasis on the Guyana Police Force.
He revealed that the government is presently preparing to enter into negotiations with the Inter-American Development Bank for a successor programme of the Citizen Security Programme, which will come to an end very soon.
He added that the government has already settled on implementing four aspects that are critical to the reform process of the Guyana Police Force. These include succession planning, probity and integrity, recruitment and retention, and public relations and communication.
He also spoke of the more than 47 police stations that are linked through a network, where data collected at the stations is sent to force headquarters so that there can be immediate action on an operational basis.
“This never happened in the past,” Rohee stated.
The Home Affairs Minister revealed that the administration is working to bridge the passport security system, pointing out that within a few months, a new machine readable passport will be released with increased security features.
“Already we have noticed that the current machine readable passports are being tampered with by people, who wish to steal the identity of persons.
The marine wing of the Guyana Police Force is also on the cards for improvement.
Minister Rohee heaped praise on the Police Anti-Narcotics Unit and the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) for the increasing interdiction of drugs being trafficked through the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
“Rather than referring mockingly to CANU and the Narcotics Branch of the Guyana Police Force, we should give credit to the fact that they continue to detect and interdict persons…I continue to say Mr. Speaker, wherever they hide it we will find it,” the Minister announced to loud cheers from his colleagues on the government side of the house.
But his presentation has not gone down well with APNU, who in a press statement yesterday said that Rohee refused to address the critical issues of crime, and lack of public confidence in the security sector.
According to APNU, his speech was short on policy and administrative projections and long on hyperbole and political slander.
“Rohee failed to address any plans to fight rampant gun-running, narco-trafficking, trafficking- in- persons, violent crime and the public’s lack of confidence in the Peoples Progressive Party-Civic administration to keep them safe. There was no plan articulated for the reform and re-training of the Guyana Police Force.”
The main opposition coalition said that the Minister’s remarks prove that the Peoples Progressive Party- Civic has failed most seriously to address the Country’s most pressing problems – the public security crisis.
“The party has not accepted responsibility for the high rate of armed robberies, murderous maritime piracy, rampant gun-running, trafficking in persons, contraband smuggling, and drug trafficking and other violent and white collar crime.”
APNU said it therefore views the remarks by the General Secretary of the PPP as scandalous and irresponsible and a tactic by the PPP to run away from its dismal record in the areas of law enforcement and public safety.

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