THE Guyana process to be part of the global Crime Stoppers Programme (CSP) is at a virtual standstill, due to some technical difficulties with the establishment of a call centre, local Chairman Jared Kissoon said yesterday.

In an invited comment, he expressed some concerns about when the much anticipated project will get underway.

Earlier this year, Mr. Kissoon had told the Guyana Chronicle that his organisation was hoping to have the CSP up and running in the first quarter. But yesterday he pointed out that they are still waiting for the most integral section to be set up.

The centre was to have been established in Jamaica and was the reason given earlier this year for the delay but Kissoon said the Jamaicans have complained of problems with their own.

He said, because of this, the possibility of having the calling facility functional in that Caribbean State is not practical at present.

However, Kissoon said his committee is exploring the possibility of having the calls routed through the United States (U.S.), as one of the options open to them from the inception but which they had not initially favoured.

About establishing the centre locally, he said, while that is another option, the committee would rather not do that, as the whole point of the scheme could be lost.

Kissoon explained that, if this course was to be taken, some persons might not feel as secure in reporting crimes and the whole gist of the CSP is based on anonymity.

He said the Private Sector is still ready and rearing to get this initiative started, as it is seen as very integral to fighting crime.

Kissoon said the centre, which when operational, would allow members of the public to provide the Police with information on criminal activities under the cover of secrecy and will be extremely effective.

He said, too, that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) needs the additional capacity that such a network will provide, pointing to the effectiveness of the CSP in other Caribbean countries and the wider world.

Emphasising the necessity for the centre, Kissoon said the GPF could use all the help it can get, although it is trying its best to control the crime situation.

Referring to complaints about the 911 emergency number not functioning as it should, he said that as well has to be taken into consideration.

He said not only its capacity, but the GPF also must move with the Caribbean and rest of the world, technologically, when it comes to crime fighting.

Kissoon emphasised that Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company (GT&T), through which the calls will be routed, is fully behind the initiative and has promised 100 per cent support.

He repeated a previous call for the media to also be fully supportive as it could play a key role in the success.

The CSP is built on 100 per cent anonymity, so that any information provided to the Police will be through a 1-800 telephone number.

Members of the public, when making reports, will not be required to state their names or testify in Court after. Instead, at the time of making the report, the tipster will be assigned a secret code number by which the person will be identified.
Since its 1976 introduction worldwide, two CARICOM member States have joined the system which is proving very successful in the fight against crime