GPF kicks off 185th anniversary with customary church service

Jul 02, 2024 News

Scenes from Monday’s Church Service.

Kaieteur News – The Guyana Police Force, on Monday kicked off a month long of activities to celebrate its 185^th anniversary with its traditional Drum Head Church Service. The service was held at the Police Officers’ Mess Annexe, Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown.

During his address, Deputy Commissioner Calvin Brutus said that, “Some person who are here for the first time were seeking directions, but, we are still here in Guyana. What we are doing is modernizing the Force and under the strategic pillar of infrastructure, we realize this facility.”

Giving a little history about the institution, he said on July 1^st, 1839 the then British Guiana Police Force was established in colonial British Guiana. Its leadership consisted of military officers until 1969 when a Guyanese assumed command. Since then, the Force’s anniversary has been commemorated with a church service featuring a unique activity known as padding of the drums. The tradition involves an elaborate display of drills and the precise arrangement of several musical drums on the ground.

Subsequently, there were prayers from a number of ministers and those in attendance were led into an intense hour of worship and praise by a number of worship leaders and accompanied by the police band. There was also a sermon and several rounds of prayers offered.

In closing, Brutus thanked all those in attendance for coming and being a part of the first anniversary activity, wishing them well for the others to come.

• anniversary, Brutus, Force, GPF, month long