Annual Police Officers’ Conference…You’ve distanced yourself from ‘contamination’ of past lawlessness, excesses – PM tells ranks

Jan 27, 2017 News

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By Michael Jordan

Prime Minister and First Vice President Moses Nagamootoo yesterday lauded the

Guyana Police Force (GPF) for the significant strides made in law enforcement last year, while urging ranks to “stay the course,” and to take advantage of training and educational opportunities.
He made the remarks while delivering the feature address at the opening ceremony of the Police Officers’ Annual Conference, which was held at the Police Officers’ Mess Annexe, Eve Leary.
“To the Guyana Police Force and the Commissioner, I want to say that you are doing better than ever before. Do not let down your guard. Do not let down your Commander in Chief; do not let down your country. Stay the course.”
The three-day Conference is being held under the theme “Forging ahead with professionalism and Intelligence-Led Policing in Collaboration with Stakeholders.”
The Prime Minister repeatedly highlighted “compelling” crime statistics to show the vast improvement the Force has made in a short time under the new coalition.
“You have shattered the predictions of the messiahs of gloom and doom, who often boast of a crime spree and crime spiraling out of control in Guyana. Not so, says the Commissioner, and I agree… and I am sure that you are all in agreement that crime is not spiraling out of control in Guyana,” Nagamootoo said.

Alluding to significant changes under the coalition, Nagamootoo said that since the assumption to office of the APNU+AFC coalition government, “we can proudly proclaim that Guyana has no death squads, no extra-judicial killings, no electronic support architecture for the criminal enterprise, and no agreement with the narco-syndicate to be an auxiliary of the national security apparatus”.
“It seems, not so long ago, that we experienced the gruesome episodes of torture, executions, and use of excessive force, which had impugned the professionalism of the Guyana Police Force.
“Yes, we had fatal shootings by the police, but these fell from 17 in 2008, and 13 in 2013, to only three last year.
That you have distanced yourself from the contamination of past lawlessness and excesses, in less than two years, must be justification to say, ‘well done, you could do better’, and better you did”.
The Prime Minister referred to statistics presented by Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud, which showed a significant drop in serious crimes in the last 20 months.
He conceded that “no amount of statistics would compensate for the tragic consequences that follow criminal activity, the loss of loved ones, the agony of survivors, damage and depredation of property, and mental depression.”
“But we are comforted by the fact, as illustrated by compelling statistics, that the GPF lessened the incidences of crime, and that police ranks responded positively by apprehending suspects, putting them on trial and playing useful prosecutorial roles in ensuring that justice is done.
“You have sent a strong message that you would deal condignly with lawbreakers, and that our system of justice ensures that those who do the crime, do the time.”
According to Nagamootoo, no statistics were more compelling than those for 2016, when there was a 63 percent detection rate for murder. Of the 142 reports of murder, 89 cases were made out.
“I understand that in police lingo this is called the ‘clear-up rate’, and 63 percent represents the highest clear-up for murder in 15 years,” he remarked to applause.
“At the same time, compared to 2016, there was a 16 percent drop in serious crimes. Our Government also notes with satisfaction that last year, the Major Crimes Unit busted 37 cases, which included 10 cold cases, eleven murders and 11 robberies with firearms.”
He said that he was informed that there was only one reported case of piracy in 2016. He said incidents of piracy dropped from 22 in 2012, to only two in 2015.
“One only has to reflect on two years back, when there was an almost inexplicable upsurge in kick-down-the-door banditry. Since then, intense operations by the intelligence services have seen a dramatic reduction in the incidences of such outrageous attacks, though much more needs to be done to smoke out the leftover gangs.”
The Prime Minister said that although Guyana has “a strict law enforcement reputation”, that it is seeking to rebuild, “we have resorted to what might be called a human approach, to ensure public safety. We experimented with a gun amnesty, and we also witnessed the pardoning of prisoners. We implemented a curfew, to disallow unfettered drinking in public places until 2.00 a.m.
“But it would appear that we could never guarantee a no-crime environment. Last year, even in the most unsuspecting place, the Central Prison, crimes were being hatched, and hardened criminals were ready to confront law enforcement, the consequences in one episode, were fatal.
“I recall that incident to show that the scope of work of security forces…is very wide and full of challenges. However, you met those challenges. You responded not only physically, but you employed intelligence to break through serious crime cases.”
The Prime Minister also said that under the leadership of President David Granger, the National Security Committee and the Defence Board have been reactivated. As a result, there has been inter-agency cooperation, maritime aerial surveillance, border patrols and “purposeful deployment of our resources.”
“At the core of all that you did was discipline. You have made us all proud, you did honour to your uniform, and you vindicated your leadership at the level of the President and the Minister of Public Security, and the Commissioner of Police that you were capable of doing better, and you did.”
According to the Prime Minister, 2016 was a testing time for ranks, due to the preparations for the nation’s 50th Independence Anniversary.
He said that the Force will be further challenged by Government’s aim of turning the nation into a green state.
“You will be called upon to enforce environmental laws, parking restriction….new hierarchal structures that involve specialized policing skills will be introduced, to deal with a new genre of violations, such as cyber crime, money laundering, recovery of state assets, and terrorism.
“These features will add to the stature of the disciplined services, and would attract a new breed of intelligentsia, fully educated and trained in crime detection, interception and prosecution.
“I want to invite the young ranks in the police force to set your sights on any possibility on training and educational advancement, and to see your job as a knowledge-driven vocation that has mobility, and a place at the top for every enterprising and ambitious recruit.
“To the officers, you must continue to shine and lead by example. To the ranks, policing is a worthy profession from which you can graduate as a model citizen and as a leader. For all of you, the path to the top is dedication and discipline and grasping every opportunity to learn and benefit from scholarship.”
Earlier, Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud said that in 2016, the Force focused heavily on capacity building to improve the level of service delivered to the Guyanese people.
The Force recruited, trained and deployed 896 new ranks, and created a number of new units within the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). These included Gender-Based Violence Investigation Units in each division, Anti-Narcotics units in all divisions, a Serial Crimes Unit and a Forensic and Video Analysis Unit.
Ranks underwent training, that was “supported by some of the finest policing organizations in the world and their respective governments, including the US, India, UK, Canada, China, and Russia”.
There was also training by Interpol, and the Force now has an Interpol-certified cyber crime trainer.

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