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Ramotar warns CPG members against using their positions for personal agendas
President Donald Ramotar has warned against members of Community Policing Groups (CPG) using their
President Donald Ramotar
positions as leverage for their individual agendas.
The Guyanese leader issued the warning during his address to police officers at the opening of their annual conference last Thursday.
Ramotar said that while the feedback is that the CPG members in the main are doing a commendable job in various parts of the country, there are reports of individuals using their membership for personal gains.
Community Policing Groups are selected, trained and resourced to be the first responders and to augment the work of the regular Force. Their work is basically voluntary.
However, there have been many criticisms of their operations, with some linking them politically.
There are also reports that many of the volunteers have enlisted in the organization to cover for their nefarious activities.
“This must not be tolerated,” President Ramotar declared.
He said that citizens must also have confidence and trust in the Community Policing Groups because more than the police ranks, they are in direct contact with the villagers of every ethnicity and religious persuasion, teachers and schoolchildren, nurses and the elderly and differently-able, businessmen and women, market vendors, taxi drivers and fishermen, in the communities where they actually reside.
“Betrayal of their code of ethics by any member of a Community Policing Group is cowardly and unacceptable social behaviour. It must not be allowed to fester,” Ramotar said.
This month the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Community Policing Organisation of Guyana (CPOG) celebrated its 39th anniversary, under the theme “Community Policing Supporting the Fight against Domestic Violence, Suicide and Promoting Road Safety.”
During the period 2013-2014, the CPGs conducted 8,527 vehicular patrols; 4,838 motorcycle patrols, 8,344 bicycle patrols; 19,994 foot patrols; 1,078 boat patrols and 381 ATV (All Terrain Vehicles) patrols. This resulted in 920 arrests that included murderers and perpetrators of domestic violence.
These patrols were also able to reduce electricity thefts and vandalism of fibre optic cables in their various divisions.
In 2014 there was a 23 per cent increase in the membership of CPGs. The year also saw the provision of additional uniforms, vehicles and equipment to all the groups.
The current membership of CPOG consists of 270 groups, with a total of 5,201 members, with the largest group coming out of ‘B’ Division (Berbice).
Community policing is part of President Ramotar’s 15-point plan for the Guyana police force in 2015.
During his address he urged the police to establish a “neighborhood watch” programme. The goal of this programme is to increase surveillance by residents and community members of their own neighbourhoods.
The Force later issued a statement in which it said that they were encouraged when the President stated that he was committed to seeing the 15-point strategy becoming a reality, and that he was looking forward to working with Officers of the Police Force in its implementation.
A special team of Senior Officers has been tasked with detailing the action plans aimed at implementing the strategies.
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