Latest update February 10th, 2025 7:48 AM
No political control over overseas training for police
– Ramjattan assures
Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan has assured the national assembly that there will be no political control over members of the Guyana Police Force accessing overseas training.
Ramjattan was at time taking a jab at former Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee during his presentation in the 2016 Budget Debate.
The Public Security Minister hinted that police ranks were denied overseas training by the previous regime because of certain controls exerted by the political directorate.
Over the years the Guyana Police Force has been offered several opportunities for overseas training of its ranks but according to reports, this was subjected to the selected approval by the previous Ministry of Home Affairs under the stewardship of Clement Rohee.
There were reports that the under the previous People’s Progressive Party Civic regime, the Ministry of Home Affairs took total control of the process of sending police ranks overseas for training, so much so that it was the Minister who decided who should or should not go.
One can point to the sacking of Senior Superintendent of Police Simon McBean who had taken up a Chevenning Scholarship in the United Kingdom IN 2007.
Minister Ramjattan in his 2016 budget debate presentation pointed to a new approach to overseas training for ranks under the current administration.
Former Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee
Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan
Last year’s debate I indicated how policemen weren’t having these training because there was, as I said then, certain controls….they have now gotten non-interference in relation to these matters to the extent now that almost every one that comes, policemen are sent overseas,” Minister Ramjattan declared.
Signs that there was total political domination of the process of sending ranks overseas for training were evidenced by the issuing of press releases by the former ministry of home affairs under Rohee whenever ranks were identified for such and even when they returned.
But according to Ramjattan there were reports of ranks being deliberately barred from attending these programmes.
“Cabinet as of today has not blocked anyone from going overseas for training,” he stated to resounding applause from the government side of the house.
Mention was made of the US government’s willingness to assist in training ranks of the Force.
More recently, that country’s Drug Enforcement Agency, which has set up an office here, has offered specialized training for ranks of the Police Anti-Narcotics Unit.
The Minister said that apart from the US assistance, Guyana has been receiving support from the British as well with regards to training.
He said that the British are now arranging to send personnel to Guyana to train Local Immigration officers.
He said too that under an agreement with the Organization of America States, local police ranks will benefit from training in New York, Florida and a police academy in El Salvador.
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