Latest update January 5th, 2025 4:10 AM
Latest News
- Jagdeo must explain how Gas-to-Energy project is feasible with final cost still unknown- Norton
- ‘Citizens who wish to enter the political race should not be threatened’ – Nigel Hughes
- Biden notifies US Congress of planned $8bn arms sales to Israel: Reports
- Guyanese Silence Fuels Exploitation
- Senegal to end all foreign military presence in 2025
Guyana’s largest Region has only one working police vehicle
Some of the vehicles received by the Police Force in July
“In Georgetown where they have asphalted roads, your Ministers are driving Prado and Infiniti and when they are coming off-road they use a plane. Yet this Government only afforded Region Nine one vehicle.”– Nigel Hughes
“I don’t know whether to call it disrespectful or just plain ridiculous,” commented one Lethem resident on the fact that Region Nine police ranks are only equipped with one vehicle to keep watch over the entire Region.
Region Nine is the largest Region in Guyana (57,750 km2, 22,300 sq miles) and according to the 2012 census, is populated with just about 24,212 people.
However, during a recent visit to the Region, Kaieteur News found out that the Region has only one police vehicle. Luckily, it is a 4×4 pickup.
Kaieteur News spoke to a police rank attached to the Region who said that, from what he understands, there is no “urgent” need for another vehicle because crime is “under control” in the Region. He added, “If we were to have a vehicle it would be no good after coming through the trail to get up here, so all that must be considered.”
Chairman of the Alliance For Change, Nigel Hughes told residents of Region Nine during his recent campaign there, that he was “in total shock to find out that there is only one police vehicle in this entire Region.”
“In Georgetown where they have asphalted paved roads your Ministers are driving Prado and Infiniti and when they are coming off-road they use a plane. Yet this Government only afforded Region nine one vehicle.”
An editorial of the Guyana Chronicle published in July and titled “The mobile capacity of the Guyana Police Force” stated “…A central feature of this continuous re-tooling of the Guyana Police Force has been its mobile capacity, as again exemplified by a recent media report of 50 new vehicles procured from the 2013 Budget allocation. This should place the number of vehicles received by the Police Force over the past decade to well over 600.”
It continued, “…Guyana Police Force enjoys greater mobility in being able to get to critical areas, in addition to answering citizens’ calls for assistance. But there is a constant report from affected persons, inclusive of crime victims, that their emergency calls when answered are often met with the response of “no vehicle available”. This is indeed very surprising, given the continuous allocation of vehicles to the Force…”
The Force, in June, received two All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) along with navigation and communication equipment, from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA).
It was noted at that time, that the donation represents a contribution to eliminate a major challenge facing the Police Force in the mining area because of its terrain.
Those received from the government in July included 13 4×4 vehicles, 10 motorcars, seven motorcycles, two all-terrain vehicles and one 26-seater short base truck. It was noted that the resources were provided for under the 2013 budget.
The media was told that the vehicles will be distributed to the “most necessary” locations.
It is no secret that the Guyana Police Force comes in for much criticism by residents and organizations with respect to the ever-present concern of a lack of adequate resources.
The issue of police mobility usually arises when the police are required to respond urgently to emergency situations such as crimes in progress and investigations that take them away from the stations.
Citizens have complained on many occasions about the time ranks take to arrive at a location and often speak about bearing the expense to transport them.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The PPP is in self-destructive mode
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News –The PPPC is not some scrappy garage band trying to book a gig at the Seawall Bandstand.... more
Forget Begging Rich Nations: Caribbean Countries Should Act to Save Themselves
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- It has long been evident that the world’s richest nations, especially those responsible... more
Weekend Cartoon
