– Top Cop’s position comes into question
The consideration of the 2011 estimates wrapped up Thursday evening, but not before the Shadow Home Affairs Minister Deborah Backer grilled Acting Prime Minister Clement Rohee for clarity on the allocations made to the sector. Foremost among her queries was the legal status and salary of the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Henry Greene, who is classified as a statutory officer.
Backer argued that Greene is past the age of 55, retirement age, and should be classified under another category.
Rohee returned that he was aware of the classification, which sees Greene earning $5.2M this year.
Dissatisfied with the response, Backer pressed, but Speaker Ralph Ramkarran intervened and pointed out that Rohee did not concede that there was a problem.
Turning to other staff issues, the National Assembly was told that the $22M for training would ensure that the capacity of local staffers would be upgraded.
While Rohee stated that there are no individuals pursuing training overseas, he noted that five Guyana Fire Service (GFS) officers were trained in French Guiana last year.
He added that staffing for the forensic laboratory, to be established soon, is an issue being looked at closely.
Additionally, Rohee said the Police Force’s members total 3,855 out of an expected 4,220 members, and their work is supported by 401 motor vehicles.
Another 54 vehicles, five water tenders and trailer pumps are expected to be acquired to support the work of the fire service, as well as a 15-seater bus and a garbage truck to remove refuse from prisons.
Other areas to be supported include the Citizen’s Security Programme, among others.

Improved Capacity
Rohee stated that the sector will also be acquiring and installing body and baggage scanners.
Backer asked whether these would eliminate the “humiliating system” where food and other items are physically searched by wardens.
Rohee stated that manual searches will continue, in light of the fact that people find creative ways of hiding unauthorized items, such as cellular phones in bread.
Moving on and refusing to refer to the institutions as “holding facilities,” Backer pressed on with her queries and requested information on a possible facility for females under 18.
Rohee noted that such a facility is currently being constructed in Sophia for young women and men whose trials are pending, or awaiting dispatch to the New Opportunity Corps (NOC).
He added that the female dormitory at New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice/ Corentyne), is being rehabilitated at a cost of $5M.
According to him, the trade shops at the prisons will also benefit from some $4.5M, which will be used to acquire tools, televisions, DVDs and a camcorder.
Rohee stressed that this expenditure is in keeping with the prisons rehabilitation programme.
The General Registrar’s Office (GRO), according to him, is also expected to undergo some amount of upgrading to the tune of $20M.
These improvements to the public security sector are expected to be bolstered by works advanced by the Legal Affairs Ministry.
The National Assembly was told by Legal Affairs Minister Charles Ramson that the Justice Improvement Programme will be completed by the end of March.