COMISSIONER of Police Seelall Persaud has urged new recruits to maintain their integrity while standing between the evil and the vulnerable as the Guyana Police Force (GPF) embarks on a “Team-Policing” strategy to more effectively protect and serve Guyana’s communities.Speaking to graduates of the Felix Austin Police College during their “Passing Out” parade, Commissioner Persaud announced that the force will adopt the new strategy which will see officers divided in teams being responsible for a geographic space within the district in which they are stationed.
These officers will have responsibilities “to conduct analysis, to identify vulnerabilities, to come up with action plans [and] to mitigate the threats arising from those vulnerabilities,” the commissioner said.
Some 203 new police recruits have been added to the force after successfully completing a rigid five-month training programme.
The ceremonial closing ceremony was attended by several officers from the top brass of the GPF, other senior and junior ranks, and relatives and other supporters of the police.
A graceful military parade saw the new batch of officers smartly dressed in blue and black police uniforms, standing before their seniors, relatives and other supporters during the presentation ceremony at the Tactical Service Unit (TSU) Square at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary.
Commissioner Persaud congratulated the new batch and staff at the college for executing the programme successfully and on time, sticking to schedules in delivery of the training and imparting to the new officers the culture required to serve communities in Guyana.
He said now that they have successfully completed the initial training leg of their careers, they will be deployed to various areas to deliver services based on the knowledge and skills they attained through training. He urged the officers to develop greater interpersonal skills and take seriously their own health and fitness.
He also urged the new police officers to always remember their “Oath of Office” in the practice of their daily duties in order to stay on track and enjoy their policing careers.
The commissioner said the new officers have joined at a time when the force seeks to employ a greater number of policemen at each station and outpost.
“You are deployed to stand between the evil that we have in society and the vulnerable that we have in society so that the evil wouldn’t take advantage of the vulnerable.”
He pointed out that the public and the Guyana Police Force have developed a more meaningful relationship and charged the newly graduated policemen and policewomen to ensure they maintain and develop such relationships.
“Today people are happy when they see members of the force around. They feel safe and they feel that there is a helping hand and you have to continue that. It’s all about choices; it’s all about decisions you take.
“So you have to make sure that you are not sucked into anything that you consider is wrong by pressures from colleagues and other persons, by temptations that will come your way throughout your careers.”
He charged the newly graduated policemen to “Go the side of enjoying your work, go the side of getting achievements, making achievements, getting awards, getting recognition, because you are doing the right thing.”