Community Policing Groups outreach programmes successful
MINISTER of Home Affairs, Mr. Clement Rohee said, Wednesday that the Community Policing Groups (CPGs) Outreach Programme has been extremely successful, so far.
He said he is pleased that people are coming out and raising their concerns, discussing problems and putting forward solutions with recommendations.
Rohee added that the exercise is turning out to be very, very useful, productive and people centred, because they are at the centre of the events.
“I am not going there to make speeches but to listen and we have changed the format where we ask the people to express their views and share their concerns and make recommendations, then we deal with them on an individual basis,” he pointed out.
Rohee said that, as usual, there are individual problems as well as collective problems at some meetings and he is very pleased that most of the issues raised were in respect to the community.
“In some cases, there were individuals raising their own problems but we listen to those problems, once they are raised, then act on them. But as they relate to community problems, we have to take a more collective approach, like inter-agency collaboration in respect to electricity, roads etc.”, he explained.
He said the strategy is useful because criminals operate in the dark of night and there should be more lights as a deterrent, not to say they do not operate by day.
“People would like to see more patrols, a faster response time. The question of CPGs being more proactive and known in their communities were also talked about,” Rohee acknowledged.
He said, at the meetings so far, residents of several communities asked that individual members of CPGs make themselves known to the community.
Rohee reiterated that, by and large the exercise, has met with success. “There is no hostility towards the government. People just want to come and talk to someone in authority and try to get justice, some consolation, recognition of their problems as well to seek advice.”
He told reporters that community policing in Guyana has proven itself.
Rohee said he, personally, is satisfied that the system is expanding and flourishing but there are some flaws they try to rectify and move forward.
He concluded:“I think the government is satisfied with performance of the CPGs and that is why they have been providing the necessary resources.”
CPGs is an important component of the government’s total crime fighting strategy, there are 272 of them across the country, with a membership totalling 4,695.