THE POLICE CORNER …The Cops and Faith Community Network
Members of the Management Committee of the Fallen Heroes Foundation pose with the Minister of Public Security. Khemraj Ramjattan, and the Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud
Members of the Management Committee of the Fallen Heroes Foundation pose with the Minister of Public Security. Khemraj Ramjattan, and the Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud

 

THE Cops and Faith Community Network (CFCN) has been giving significant support to the Guyana Police Force over the years, more particularly in relation to the implementation of its social crime prevention programme.The concept of the Cops and Faith Community Network was first mooted during January 2012 by Reverend Dr Kwame Gilbert, who at that time was a member of the Advisory Board of the Community Action Component (CAC) of the Citizen Security Programme (CSP), which was being implemented under the then Ministry of Home Affairs, now Ministry of Public Security.
Kwame Gilbert had seen the programme on stream in the USA and was of the view that it may be applicable to Guyana.

Ms. Enola Pantlitz, spouse of Police Corporal 18053 Sherwayne Pantlitz who lost his life in the line of duty, receives a monetary donation from the Fallen Heroes Foundation. Presenting the cheque is Pastor Raphael Massiah
Ms. Enola Pantlitz, spouse of Police Corporal 18053 Sherwayne Pantlitz who lost his life in the line of duty, receives a monetary donation from the Fallen Heroes Foundation. Presenting the cheque is Pastor Raphael Massiah

It was posited that the objectives of the programme included the creation of a mechanism for community problem-solving (which as an extension may lead to community building and improved police-community relations); the religious leaders will provide mediatory functions to young persons who have for the first time come into conflict with the law for minor offences; the religious leaders can avail themselves as mentors for young people who may be in conflict with the law as a preemptive intervention to the New Opportunity Corps; and create a data base of religious leaders who will provide chaplaincy and counselling to law-enforcement officers who may require such services.

It was also recognised, firstly, that in many communities religious organisations function as an anchoring force, since they become more a part of people’s lives in the absence of community help services; secondly, many religious leaders are trained to deal with special needs of disadvantaged populations and they often lend a level of compassion and understanding that traditional social service agencies may not; and thirdly, in many communities, the religious leaders are often viewed as the leader and the voice of moral and secular authority – they can rally their congregants and the wider community to work towards lasting solutions to problems related to crime and violence.

Following discussions with the Police Force’s senior management team which supported the concept, the way was cleared for the working out of the modalities and standard operating procedures.

Subsequently, following discussions with religious leaders of the three main religions in the country, the Cops and Faith Community Network was officially launched on Thursday September 12, 2013, as a pilot project in the ten communities that were involved in the Community Action Component of the Citizen Security Programme.

The communities were:

Agricola/McDoom
Angoy’s Avenue
Overwinning/Glasgow/Edinburgh
Port Mourant
Kilcoy/Chesney/Fyrish
Rose Hall
Sophia
Buxton/Friendship
Annandale/Lusignan
Plaisance

It was agreed that after six months, an assessment would be done with a view to determine whether the concept of the Cops and Faith Community Network should be extended throughout all the Police Divisions. The review and assessment conducted at the end of the pilot stage was highly positive and consequently, the initiative has been expanded countrywide throughout the Police Divisions.

An analysis of the CFCN in terms of treating with juvenile first offenders has revealed that up to March 31, 2016, there was a total of 294 interventions supported by the religious community. The interventions involved 167 male and 127 female young persons. In all cases, the youths were counselled by the religious leaders and following the involvement of parents/guardians, and the victims where necessary, the majority of them were warned and sent away. Presently, resulting from discussions between the Guyana Police Force and religious leaders involved in the CFCN, the CFCN has since progressed from being just a crime-prevention effort to one of social intervention in the society.

On Saturday December 6, 2014, the Guyana Police Force in collaboration with the Cops and Faith Community Network formally launched two projects, Chaplaincy and Family Liaison for victims of serious crimes and domestic violence, at the Police Officers’ Training Centre, Eve Leary. The concept involved in the Force Chaplaincy is the involvement of the CFCN to provide Chaplaincy services to members of the Guyana Police Force, particularly those who have had traumatic experiences. It is recognised that there are police ranks who visit crime scenes such as shooting incidents or murder, where they have various experiences that may have long-term effects on them, with a resulting unnoticed pressure building up that may eventually affect them psychologically.

Consequently, in situations where a rank or a group of ranks has been exposed to a traumatic situation, it is intended to provide counselling through the CFCN in order to bring some psychological relief. Should the intervention at this level be considered not to be enough based on feedback, then higher and more in-depth treatment will be sought. As a precursor to the initiating of the Chaplaincy project, during July 2014 the Guyana Police Force appointed a Force Chaplain, Pastor Patrick Doolichand, who is coordinating the Chaplaincy project and other projects involving the CFCN in addition to ceremonial duties.

Also, a number of members of the Guyana Police Force and the religious community comprising Christians, Muslims and Hindus, participated in a Level One Community Service Chaplaincy Training programme between September 4 and 6, 2014, that was organised by the Police in collaboration with the CFCN. The training programme was facilitated by officials of Chaplaincy International and placed emphasis on giving guidance and counselling.

In relation to the Family Liaison for victims of serious crimes and domestic violence, it was recognised that in some instances the victims of serious crimes do not cooperate fully with the police investigators on issues such as giving statements, attending identification parades and attending court. It was therefore felt that the involvement of the religious leaders attached to the CFCN could have a positive impact by way of bringing some psychological relief to the victims in the first instance, along with giving encouragement for their cooperation with the police as well as the provision of feedback to them on the progress of the investigation into a particular matter.

Another benefit here is that in many instances, persons are more comfortable talking to a religious leader and additionally, the presence of the religious leader will serve to motivate ranks to be more professional in their delivery of service and consequently, assist in enhancing public trust. Another project for which the Police Force is receiving support from the CFCN is the Inter-Agency Suicide Prevention Help Line, which was launched by the Force on Thursday August 6, 2015, under the theme “You call, we listen and help.”

It is an avenue whereby depressed persons, or their relatives or friends, can call in with a view to the affected person receiving psychological assistance by way of counselling. A higher level of intervention will be sought through mental health specialists should it become necessary in any particular case. In addition to the CFCN, the Police Force is being supported in this initiative under the Force’s Social Crime Prevention Programme by the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Social Protection, the private sector and other social partners.

On November 5, 2015, another initiative, the Fallen Heroes Foundation Inc., was launched by the Guyana Police Force in collaboration with the Cops and Faith Community Network in honour of those police ranks who were killed in the line of duty, in order to provide various forms of assistance to their families, including educational facilities for their children.
The Foundation, which is the first of its kind in the Caribbean, has received overwhelming support from the Government of Guyana, Government ministers in their personal capacity, and from a wide cross-section of the society, including the corporate community.

The Fallen Heroes Foundation is managed by a Committee comprising its President Pastor Raphael Massiah, Vice-President Dr. Winston McGowan, Secretary Pastor Winston Assanah, Treasurer Mohamed Qualander and Committee Members Pastors Patrick Doolichand, Victor Grimmond and Deryck Anderson.

The Foundation has commenced with the offering of assistance to the relatives of slain police ranks when between December last year and January this year significant monetary donations were made to the spouses of a number of police ranks who had lost their lives in the line of duty.
There are some 252 members of the religious community presently involved in the CFCN countrywide, which is also assisting with the invigilating and marking of the Learner/Driver Theoretical Examinations in the Police Divisions, with a view to bringing greater integrity to the process.

 

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All our printed editions are available online
emblem3
Subscribe to the Guyana Chronicle.
Sign up to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.