Security arrangements in place at Golden Grove Station

May 10, 2016 News

– Police say in response to KN article
Arrangements are in place to ensure the safety of police ranks and the security of prisoners at the station.
This is according to officials of the Guyana Police Force, who were responding to a Kaieteur News article which stated that the station was ill-equipped to house high-profile prisoners.

Adequate Security? The present state of the Golden Grove Police Station.

In a statement issued yesterday, the Force noted that in the article, “mention was made of the metal fence of the compound having collapsed and no security lights around its perimeter.”
“The Guyana Police Force wishes to state that the Golden Grove Police Station, which is being used to house prisoners who may have otherwise been kept at the Brickdam Police Station lock-ups that is under construction, has security lights on the building itself that affords all round visibility at nights.
“In addition, a new fence is being catered for in the budgetary allocations for 2017. In the meanwhile, contrary to what is stated in the article, security arrangements are in place to ensure the safety of police ranks and the security of prisoners at the station.”
But it was just a few weeks ago that ranks at Golden Grove Police Station were forced to summon their colleagues to quell unrest at the location.
There were 17 prisoners in the lockups that day. They included alleged ‘hit man’ Linden Lewis (now charged with the murder of businessman Habiboodeen), and robbery suspects Godfrey Lynch and Travis Alexander. At around 06.30hrs, the ranks escorted Lewis, Lynch, Alexander and a fourth prisoner from their cells to allow them to use the washroom.
But police said that after relieving themselves, the prisoners refused to return to their cells unless they were given cigarettes.
They reportedly attempted to overpower the ranks who had taken them to the washroom, and the policemen were forced to retreat, leaving the inmates locked in a passageway. The policemen then radioed for back-up.
But when the other ranks arrived, one of the prisoners began throwing feces at the policemen. The same inmate allegedly then placed his jersey on a security camera in the passageway. He then used a lighter, which he may have secreted in his rectum, to set the jersey alight, thus damaging the camera. The prisoner then set one of the wooden doors of the lockup on fire.
The ranks summoned additional manpower, and, with the aid of ranks from the Guyana Fire Service, were able to extinguish the fires and put the prisoners back in their cell.
And just over a year ago, ranks at the same station barely thwarted a massive breakout.
Sometime during the early hours of May 3, 2015, some of the prisoners began to bang on one of the cell doors. The ranks on duty had no idea that they were causing the ruckus to divert attention from the fact that some other inmates were smashing through a wall at the northern side of the station.
Fortunately, one of the ranks went to use the station washroom and heard strange noises in the area. Suspecting what was amiss, the rank alerted his colleagues. On investigating, they discovered that the prisoners had already smashed a gaping hole in the wall, in the vicinity of the area where inmates are taken to have their baths.
At the time, several prisoners were being held at the station, including three suspects in a recent armed robbery.
Visits to the station revealed that the metal fence had collapsed, the compound is overrun with thick vegetation, there are no security lights around its perimeter, and ranks conduct their duties by lamplight when there is a power failure, since there is no generator.
Kaieteur News understands that the station, which was opened in 2007, sometimes has as many as 40 prisoners. They often include suspects for serious offences, including robbery under-arms and murder.
Some sources have said that with the absence of a security fence, individuals could easily secrete themselves in the compound and attack ranks on the location. Prisoners could also easily slip out. Once they escape and flee the compound, they have many nearby getaway points, including Kaneville and vast backlands.