Dear Editor,

PLEASE allow me to respond to an article written by Shanta Singh under the caption “Since when City Constables have become Police Traffic Officers?” It appeared in the Kaieteur News of October 19, 2016.In that letter, the author stated: “For some odd reason, without any call for assistance from the National Police or without any visible void in this area, the City Constabulary has jumped into traffic control and management”.

I wish to point out to the general public, and especially to Shanta Singh, that the City Constabulary is the oldest law enforcement service in Georgetown. It was established in July 1837 under Ordinance No. 9 of 1837. With over 100 employees and about five stations in Georgetown, the City Constabulary has the same power the national police (GPF) has in the maintenance of law and order in this country; and these powers are incorporated in Section 17 of the Police Act, Chapter 16:01; and Section 137 (1) of the Municipal and District Councils Act.

It must not go unnoticed that Shanta Singh’s claim that the City Constabulary is acting above the law is not only false, but is very misleading and mischievous, since the record is there to show that the Constabulary/City Traffic Police are acting within the law on traffic enforcement under the Administration of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown.

I wish to further point out that the Constabulary is responsible for policing the 15-square mile capital city with its approximately 180,000 citizens. This is in addition to the 200,000 persons who visit the city on a daily basis for business, entertainment or otherwise.

The Constabulary is divided into several sections, including Training and Education; Enforcement; General Duties; Traffic Control and Management; Investigation; Enforcement; Court Processing; Administration and Operations.

Its functions are to enforce compliance with the City by-laws, and to prosecute, when necessary, breaches of the laws of the City of Georgetown. Members of the Constabulary are also empowered to maintain law and order, and to protect citizens as they patrol the city.

The City Constabulary has the authority to deal with the stray animal nuisance and similar problems in Georgetown; as well to stop, search, and detain any aircraft, vessel or vehicle in which there shall be any reason to suspect anything stolen or unlawfully obtained within the boundaries of Georgetown is being hidden.

I find it rather strange that Shanta Singh would have the audacity to pen a letter in the Kaieteur News last Wednesday to question the ability of the City Constabulary Police Traffic Unit (C.P.T.M.U) to effectively manage the City in the area of traffic control and management. It clearly appears that Ms. Singh doesn’t live in Guyana, because she would have known that, over the past 176 years, the City Constabulary have been collaborating with other agencies — such as the Guyana Police Force — not only in combating crimes in the area of narco-trafficking and other forms of illegal activities, but in the fight against traffic management, casualty reduction, traffic control, and road safety in this country.

Additionally, members of the City Police Traffic Management Unit (C.P.T.M.U) benefit from training, both locally and abroad, in all aspects of traffic management; and are capable of doing the work which the CPTMU is mandated to do. Just recently — as in January this year — the Chronicle newspaper reported (January 29, 2016) that the City Constabulary and the Police Traffic Department, Town Clerk Royston King, Chief Constable Andrew Foo, and other senior M&CC officers met with the Traffic Chief, Superintendent Dion Moore, at City Hall, in order to foster a closer relationship for training and to collaborate in traffic management and other areas of law enforcement. The initiative was aimed at promoting a strong and lasting partnership, and would allow for training and collaboration in traffic management and other areas of law enforcement, according to acting Public Relations Officer Ms. Debra Lewis. This, in a nutshell, tells that the role of the City Police is identical to that of the Guyana Police Force when it comes to maintenance of law and order in this country.
Regards,
RAYVONNE P. BOURNE