Hicken says: 21 cops before the court on criminal charges

Apr 28, 2023 News

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Kaieteur News – Acting Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken on Thursday said the Guyana Police Force (GPF) continues to be challenged by rogue cops being charged criminally and the “lack of a comprehensive structure when responding to crimes in the country’s mining district.

Hicken was at the time delivering his presentation at the opening ceremony of the Annual Police Officers Conference held at the force’s Officer Mess, Eve Leary, Georgetown. The acting police chief said, “Hereunder are some of our challenges currently; we have 21 police who are before the court that are charged criminally”.  From January to February at least four police officers were charged criminally. On January 6 last it was reported that a police Corporal, Rawle Haynes was slapped with three counts of laundering millions he allegedly stole from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) back in 2019. Later that month it was reported that another cop was charged for collecting a $200,000 bribe. On January 26 last two more police ranks were charged jointly with a mason for drugs and ammo possession.

They were identified as 29-year-old Albert Beresford and 22-year-old Julius Cambridge and according to the reports they were held at a road block in Mahaicony. On February 8 another police officer, Constable Shane James was released on $1.6M bail after he was slapped with two counts of manslaughter charges for a new years day shooting death of his colleague, Detective Dwayne McPherson and 22-year-old fisherman, Kishan Budburgh.

Apart from rogue cops, Hicken during his presentation noted that the lack of a comprehensive structure when responding to crimes in Guyana’s Mining district is also a challenge. Police stations or outposts are located many miles away from the areas where crimes take place. Although police would respond, it takes  them days to arrive at some locations due to rugged terrain and distance. This sometimes allows suspects enough time to slip under the radar. Other challenges according to Hicken are, “negative social media influence, substance abuse, language barriers, gender-based violence, transnational crime, cyber threat,  narco-trafficking,  illegal migration, porous borders and  increase in mental health related-crimes.”

Meanwhile, also speaking at the conference, President Irfaan Ali called for a new standard of performance and professionalism as he commended what he described as the “remarkable performance of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in the past year.”  Ali acknowledged the significant role the Guyana Police Force has played in addressing social issues in various communities. “I must accord credit where credit is due. The Guyana Police Force has been working with my administration to fashion a modern, diversified, and accountable organisation. It has made significant strides over the past year. “To see officers and their ranks cleaning medians, painting roadways, building houses, delivering hampers, cleaning drains, walking in the community, talking to every section of the Guyanese people is most admirable,” the president underscored.

He noted that policing involves much more than simply ‘walking around with guns’, and patrolling the streets. “You are not just officers representing the Guyana Police Force. You are officers leading other ranks to deliver an environment that is secure, comfortable, and…importantly, one that offers a higher standard of living,” he told the senior ranks.

Speaking on the dynamics of policing, President Ali noted the importance of understanding the level of duty that policing calls for in national development. He explained that the complexity of the global, regional, and national architecture has drastically changed due to advancements in technology, and therefore, the dynamics of policing have also changed. “Policing is not isolated from development and development is not isolated from policing…The security architecture of a country is a bedrock through which development, sustainability, resilience, and progress can be achieved,” the head of state pointed out.     With over 2000 officers already trained or in training, President Ali has challenged the GPF to overcome the many challenges in building a stronger and safer future for the country.

To confront those challenges, President Ali emphasised the need for a proactive thinking organisation that can anticipate and address security issues, rather than a reactive and passive one. He also called for a new standard of performance and professionalism within the force, emphasising the need for a force that is, ‘driven by performance and fuelled by professionalism.’

Meanwhile, the head of state expressed his distress regarding the current situation on Guyana’s roadways. He said the issues stemmed from the country’s infrastructure capacity and an increasing number of vehicles as well as ‘recklessness and stupidity’ on the part of some drivers, who endanger their own lives and families and put other persons at risk. President Ali said the issue must receive special attention at the conference and suggested a large-scale educational campaign to address these matters. “This must stop…We passed legislation to make bar owners and bartenders accountable also, not just the drivers…we must implement this legislation, this guideline.”

Attending the opening ceremony were Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn,  other senior ranks of the Guyana Police Force,  Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, Acting Chief Justice, Justice Roxane George and members of the diplomatic corps. The conference is being held under the theme ‘Improve Partnership, Human Development and Accountability to Enhance Service Delivery.’

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• crime, Guyana Police Force, Hicken, Rogue cops

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