–to cater for new school term

‘A’ DIVISION Police have unveiled a detailed and comprehensive plan of action to superintend the area under their charge. This plan includes methods to be employed to engage school children from nursery to secondary for this new school term.

During an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle last week Saturday, the plan was outlined by the various senior police officers at the Brickdam Police Station, among whom were Divisional Commander, Senior Superintendent Clifton Hicken; Deputy Commander, Superintendent Dion Moore; Traffic Officer, Assistant Superintendent Ramesh Ashram; Acting Divisional Head of the CID, Deputy Superintendent Michael Kingston; Acting Impact Base Commander, Cadet Officer Anthony Austin; and Operations Room Coordinator, Inspector Karen Kilkenny.

In his opening remarks, Hicken said the leadership has done its analysis of the entire division, and has already arrived at a workable solution in regard to the modus operandi of ranks, as part of the broader focus of general policing.

He said there would be an overwhelming police presence in the areas of traffic, general policing, and patrolling duties. The commander stressed that the arrangement is being adopted even as the police have already begun their initial assessment of the situation ahead of the upcoming Christmas season.

He said that ranks would be deployed based on limitations, and pointed out that, based on initial assessment, the division is equipped and ready to police the division.

He called on parents to ensure they fulfill their responsibilities by giving their children safety and traffic tips when necessary.

Deputy Commander, Superintendent Dion Moore, said the approach to policing during the new school term and into the Christmas period is community-oriented, as the Force tries to build partnerships.

He said the division has adopted an arrangement to deal with the traffic situation and combat crime, which, according to him, thus far seems to be the ideal approach, even as the division has not closed the door to employing new measures.

He said the three-lane system of traffic on the East Bank of Demerara during peak hours is working very well, and that would continue.

With respect to children who are in the habit of liming and engaged in truancy, the police would be on the lookout for them, and once they are caught the police would take the necessary actions in addressing that particular practice.

The acting head of ‘A’ Division CID, Michael Kingston, related that ranks from the Criminal Investigation Department and other ranks would be visiting schools to lecture children on the dangers associated with the use of drugs and being involved in criminal activities.

The ranks, he added, would be working along with the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security on the issue of addressing the issue of school dropouts. For those individuals, the focus would be on encouraging them to ensure that they are not lured into becoming persons of questionable character.

Traffic Officer, Assistant Superintendent Ramesh Ashram, said the division has a traffic road safety programme with which it is working. Already, several pedestrian crossings have been repainted within the parameters of the division.

The Traffic Department plans to engage schools through road safety lectures, while facilitating the re-commissioning of several road safety groups in school. Already, he added, the police force has donated gear to some school for this purpose.

Asked why the school road safety patrols would be resuscitated, Ashram said the police cannot be at every location every time to monitor the traffic situation. Accordingly, the patrols would be resuscitated in the secondary schools while police would be present at nursery and primary schools from 7am to 9 am, and again from 14hr to 18 hours.

Those children would, however, still receive some amount of training in becoming road safety patrols.
On the issue of anti-crime patrols, Cadet Officer Anthony Austin, who is supervising the Impact Base, explained that the department has already done its surveying of the division, and an immediately increased police presence would be visible in places like Rasville, North and South Georgetown, Diamond, Agricola and Albuoystown.

He said there is not much worry in the areas of Albuoystown and Agricola, but maintained that the police still need to be alert and prepared.

He also added that frequently footed areas would be patrolled, as such areas are usually prone to the presence of motor cycles, pedal cycles and foot bandits, who pounce on unsuspecting persons.

Inspector Karen Kilkenny, who heads the Operations Room of the Brickdam Police Station, said her focus would also be to visit schools and conduct lectures with the children on the use of emergency numbers.

She said the department would enlighten children on the issue of violence, since this does not only occur in the home, but at schools also. Children would be encouraged to use their cell phones in cases of emergency to contact the police via its four emergency numbers, or 911, or the Blackberry Messaging Pin, which is also used by the division to connect with members of the public.

Kilkenny said the move is to assist teachers and parents in places where the police do not have a ready presence, but where children are often the ears and eyes of the police.

(By Leroy Smith)