Govt.-citizen partnerships will help minimize crime

Nov 13, 2016 AFC Column, Features / Columnists

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The Citizen Security Strengthening Project (CSSP) funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to the tune of approximately GY$3 Billion, in a few weeks will close out the first year of implementation. Teething pains over with, the Project is set to really address the three (3) main societal problems in Guyana – the high volume of violent behaviours in communities; police effectiveness at preventing and investigating crime at the national level; and the high number of repeat offenders.
The CSSP was originally developed as the Citizens Security Programme, funding for which (US$15M) had been approved by the IDB in 2006, but it was not until 2014 that it was ready to be launched under the theme “Building Capacities, Strengthening Security”.
Of course, this project also has rigid safeguards against corruption at any level, to ensure prudent spending while guarding against nefarious activities.
Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan said at the launch in the first quarter of 2016 that the CSSP has come at an “opportune moment”. The crime rate has been climbing too fast over the last decade.
While government is obligated to address problems related to public security, the emerging (global) trends for successful crime prevention show clearly that crime fighting is most effective in government-citizen partnerships. Minister Ramjattan had also posited that the rapid increase in crime statistics in Guyana is linked to a perceptive low level of trust in law enforcement. Indications from measurements taken throughout 2016 indicate, however, that this is changing.
Minister Ramjattan also said that government would continue to work with NGOs, community groups and international organizations to supplement the work of this IDB-funded programme.
MAJOR OBJECTIVES
The CSSP was created with specific objectives to be achieved by year 2020. These are:-
1. To establish an Integrated Crime Information System that provides the Ministry of Public Security and the Guyana Police Force with access to other existing Governmental databases for supporting data. The key agencies are the Department of Public Prosecutions, the Magistracy and Supreme Courts, the Guyana Prison Service, the Guyana Revenue Authority, the Deeds Registry, and the Agencies of the Ministry of Citizenry.
2. To enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Justice system in Guyana by giving it access to accurate, comprehensive, digital crime information. Enhanced training will improve the analytical capabilities of policy analysts and law enforcement personnel.
3. To develop a functional crime ‘observatory’ with capacity for spatial statistical analysis and geo-referenced mapping of crime and violence-related injuries and deaths.
4. To build capacity at the Data Management Centre to enable these institutions to become technology driven – highly computerized.
This US$15 Million project was signed into being in February 2016 and is expected to expire in 2020. The project is being implemented by the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) of the Ministry of Public Security, and is being directly supervised by the IDB.
The CSSP targets young people in 20 communities … its specific objective to lead them away from a life of crime. These communities have the highest rates of homicides, robberies, burglaries and domestic violence. They are Stabroek, Lacytown, South Ruimveldt, East La Penitence, Charlestown, Sophia, and Bel Air in the city; Bush Lot Village, Albion, Port Mourant and Adelphi Village in Berbice; Annandale, Enmore, Lusignan and Mon Repos on the ECD; Tuschen and De Vrierden; Agricola, McDoom and Kuru Kururu on the EBD/LSH, and Wismar in Region 10.
The project teams have done analyses of the needs of each community and have begun to direct resources there. In all the areas, community involvement is as vital to the success of the project as the remedial programmes. Non-governmental, governmental and private sector organizations are being contracted to address the reasons for interpersonal violence, and the bases that promote acceptance of violence. Those identified so far include parenting, gender biases and the paucity of social ‘tools’ to resolve conflicts.
Unemployment and underemployment are generally associated with low educational attainment. These societal ills are prevalent in the target communities. Therefore, the young people will be trained in various vocational skills, and efforts will be made to help them find jobs, or to start up their own businesses. In addition, other members of these communities will be mentored, counseled, and provided with basic remedial education.
CRIME PREVENTION AND INVESTIGATION
The second most vital aspect of the project seeks to boost the Police Force’s ability to investigate crimes – homicides, burglaries, home invasions, personal crimes, and robberies. The project is financing an evidence-based Crime Prevention policing model which includes computer literacy in police training, and specialization in evidence-based policing.
REHABILITATION AND SOCIAL RE-INTEGRATION SERVICES
Another element of the project focuses on the effectiveness of the Guyana Prison Service. The objective in these early stages is to reduce the number of repeat offenders via several streams of activities: 1) A prison census in the five penal institutions, including a needs assessment; 2) Implementation of a rehabilitation model aligned with international best practices; 3) Implementation of a case management programme; and 4) Development and implementation of a rehabilitation and reintegration training plan.
To address prison overcrowding, the project is financing a study of incarceration alternatives for pre-trial detainees.
The Government with support from the IDB has truly undertaken the reform and transformation of the Guyana Police Force from an incident-driven, reactive institution to one that relies on analysis and communities with the use of Information Communication Technology.

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