THE Guyana Police Force (GPF), as part of its 176th anniversary, yesterday morning staged a grand route march that saw participation from all arms of the Force. This activity which is an annual part of the Force’s celebration also saw the participation of the Minister of Public Security, Mr Khemraj Ramjattan, who took the salute in front of the Ministry’s Brickdam office.The parade, which failed to attract the usual heavy downpours in years gone by, saw just a few seconds of passing clouds which dropped a few drizzles as the Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud and his divisional commanders were preparing to take the salute from the parading ranks, headed by Assistant Commissioner Clifton Hicken who was backed up by Senior Superintendent , Whitney Bacchus.

At promptly 06:00hrs yesterday, the parade moved off from the Tactical Services Unit (TSU) drill square at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary and made its way through several city streets in Georgetown before heading to Brickdam, where the first “eyes-right” salute was given to Vice-President and Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan with Permanent Secretary Angela Johnson to his right and Commissioner Seelall Persaud to his left.
The ranks marched to the sounds of the Guyana Police Force Band and those from the Police Steel Orchestra to the front and rear, respectively.
Units in the parade included Presidential Guards, Immigration, Criminal Investigation Department, Traffic, Scouts, Association of Women Police, Police Welfare, Police Athletes, Community Policing Groups, Youth Groups, Traffic, Special Constables and individual groups representing the various police divisions.
The parade did bring out spectators, especially those in downtown Georgetown as it got the attention of those who positioned themselves at doors, windows and gates as the sounds of the police musical instruments grabbed their attention as the parade passed by.
When the parade re-entered Police Headquarters, they were addressed by Commissioner Persaud and also gave three cheers for Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President David Granger; Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud; and for the 176th Anniversary of the GPF.

This year’s parade was deemed one of the largest that the force has ever had, according to Commissioner Persaud who, in his remarks, thanked the officers for the good work they have been doing especially during the election period. He pointed out that it is a crucial time for a country and without proper surveillance could prove very dangerous.

He added that the new administration has indicated a lot of changes for the Force and “these changes say to me that we will be resourced, we will have the tools that are necessary for us to do our jobs, that our welfare will be looked at…”
“However, there will be a greater demand on us for accountability and improved delivery of services,” he warned.

Persaud also urged the officers to do their best and serve the force with pride, which will in turn restore its good name. To this effect, he said that standard operational procedures were developed and a lot of officers were trained in order to deliver the quality of service that the people expect.
At the end of the parade, ranks were rewarded by units for exceptional performances on the route, with the overall best performance going to the TSU, a win that they must have been hoping for over the years. The Presidential Guard copped second place for their performance along the route.