The Ministry of Home Affairs Sunday hosted an ‘A’ Division Community Policing Retreat, which saw the participation of several Community Policing Groups (CPGs) at the Diamond Secondary School.
This is the second activity of its kind which will continue until the second week in October.
The retreat aimed at allowing members of the groups to air their concerns with respect to issues affecting the community policing system and propose solutions and recommendations for the growth and expansion of community policing.
In addition, it would help them rededicate themselves to the ideals of the group.
Delivering his remarks, Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee said that these interactions will reveal the deficiencies and successes of the system and how deficiencies can be removed.
He said that the groups need to be more “visible” by increasing their awareness in their respective communities.
He also encouraged members of the various groups to influence others to join the policing groups.
“We must reach out to persons who are interested in joining the CPG, not push them away,” Minister Rohee said.
He added that Community police must work together with the Guyana Police Force to play an effective role in the overall crime fighting strategy and there must be a cordial and transparent relationship between these two institutions.
CPG members were also urged to make constructive criticisms during their deliberations which will leave them in a better, more informed position in dealing with crime.
“The type of criticisms we want is constructive criticisms that can help to build, to strengthen and broaden community policing,” Minister Rohee said.
He highlighted that the Ministry recently commissioned an audit of the entire Community Policing system, which is audited by a top level team, to assess where there is competency, and provide recommendations, along with the weaknesses and strength of the groups.
Minister Rohee pointed out that “Community Policing is about sitting down and planning and strategizing, identifying where the loop-holes are and finding solutions to them.”
He encouraged persons in communities where there are no policing groups to form groups.
He said that for a group to be successful, contributions must be made by each group member, in terms of different skill-set, and members of the community must also respond to the groups.
After the opening ceremony, members were divided into three groups where facilitators conducted discussions on the problems , ways of promoting expansion and improving relations among CPGs, police and communities, and ways of developing the groups.
Commander of Police ‘A’ Division, George Vyphuis, highlighted that policing group members and police ranks must have respect for each other and co-operate for both teams to be effective in crime fighting.
He said that community policing has evolved from batons to vehicles and firearms; they have shifted to modern days, thus there must also be modern thinking as well.
Vyphuis noted that members of the group should commit themselves to the job as they are considered a supporting hand to the Police Force and should behave in a responsible manner.
He urged all members of the groups to form youth clubs which would benefit youths and others in their respective communities. (GINA)