Police Force faces major challenges to increase strength

Feb 18, 2015 News

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By Dale Andrews
At the beginning of the year Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee announced that approval has been given for the Guyana Police Force to be increased by 1500 ranks. But while the Minister did not give a definite timeframe for this to be realized, it would appear that that initiative is no more than wishful thinking at this time.

Except for the normal walk-in recruitment process, the Force has not yet started any aggressive employment campaign to make good on the plan. Although the beginning of the year has seen a slight increase in the numbers in the organization, high-placed sources within the Police Force have indicated that with the low remuneration and the current rate of attrition, the aim of a permanent increase in the manpower strength of the organization from the current 3,410 to 4,956 could take years to achieve.
“We are getting some good persons through the walk-in process. We are getting some people of good quality in terms of qualification,” one official disclosed.
But the question of keeping those persons in the Force is a huge challenge, since according to the official, some people are just looking for a job as opposed to a career in the Guyana Police Force.
“The question is if we could retain them,” he said.
He acknowledged that most of the new recruits are enticed by the possibility of benefitting from the Cadet Officer Scheme, but most of them could be in limbo, since the Police Cadet Scheme appeared to have been shelved since the last batch of Police Cadet Officers graduated from the Standard Officers’ Course two years ago.
“If they don’t get what they are looking for, it is possible that they will leave. Those who are just looking for a job might stay, but people are no longer looking at the Force for a lifelong career. We have to look at the reasons why they are leaving…our attrition rate is very high,” the officer explained.
But is not that the Force is looking to recruit any and every applicant; the Force has a choice. It was explained that some applicants are refused entry into the organization for various reasons, including lack of fitness.
At least two out of every 10 applicants do not make the cut. Some even drop out during the recruit training process.
“Within a year we would get like about nine persons dropping out at the training school level. It is not that they don’t like the job, but some of them might not have been able to maintain the level of performance academically in the classroom, and with the level of discipline that is required of them, they drop out,” the official explained.
Remuneration is one area that certainly needs to be looked at. The lowest ranked policeman starts out with a monthly salary of $55,000. When deductions are made, the constable will take home about $45,000.
Those who would have taken loans from the police co-operative credit union will find it even harder to eke out an honest living on their take home pay.
“So where does that leave them? It’s either they leave the job for a better paying one, or you know what? They become prone to corruption,” another officer suggested.
He is convinced that the current salary scale in the Police Force will pose a serious challenge to the recruitment plan.
“You get these security firms that are popping up, especially in the mining sector, and that is kicking us, because they are paying much better than us. Our people are trained and all they (security firms) have to do is give them a gun and deploy them,” the officer stated.
In terms of gender, the officer stated that while there is a balance in the application to enlist in the force, accommodation is affecting the intake of females as against the males.
It was explained that for every 20 male applicants there are 17 females.
Apart from persons leaving the job for “greener pastures”, several ranks continue to be interdicted from duty for various reasons, some of which are criminal in nature, thus impacting negatively on the strength of the organisation.
The Home Affairs Minister had stated that the upward revision of the numbers within the Force is in keeping with the demands of Guyana’s significantly changed security environment in the preservation of law, order and peace.
This stems from an increase in population size and the accompanying development of new communities, an increase and frequent occurrences of social-economic activities, significant increases in the number of motor vehicles, and the accompanying expansion of the road network as well as significant opening up of Guyana’s interior regions.
“It is not only bringing in the people, you know…you have to find accommodation for them. We have to look at expanding areas like Eccles, Parfait Harmonie and other considerations,” a senior official explained.
But according to a source, the process will not be just a routine recruitment exercise.
The source said that it was the police administration that had requested the increase.
“The Force needs to indicate how many Constables, Corporals or Sergeants they will need. It won’t be just 1500 Constables.”

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