Guyana to get OAS aid in crime fight
MINISTER of Home Affairs, Mr. Clement Rohee and Organisation of American States (OAS) Country Representative, Mr. Dennis Moses signed a cooperation agreement yesterday, for the execution of a project to strengthen information on public security. The signing took place in the Ministry’s Boardroom, on Brickdam, Georgetown, where Rohee said he welcomes agreements between donor communities and the Government of Guyana, particularly in respect to public safety and security.
He told the gathering it was at the October 2010 meeting of Ministers of National Security, which he attended in Mexico where it was agreed that such projects should be undertaken on a hemispheric basis.
“We are pleased to note that, since that meeting, the project is now being realised in Guyana. We established a Crime Observatory Unit in 2008, which evolved into the Crime and Social Observatory at the Ministry of Home Affairs,” Rohee disclosed.
He said the observatory has in its membership the Ministries of Health, Education, Local Government and Regional Development, the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), private sector and the inter-religious bodies, Guyana Police Force (GPF) and Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
Rohee said the Crime and Social Observatory met on 17 occasions, monthly, when the issues addressed had to do, principally, with crime reporting, standardisation of suicide data, non-reporting of crimes and cooperation with the community action component of the Citizens Security Programme (CSP).
“In the context of capacity building, the Ministry of Home Affairs also has the integrated crime information system set up under Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)/CSP. It is mandated to collect data and analyse trends and, apart from data, we also make assessments in respect of public perception of safety of crime victimisation, attitudes towards violence and prevalence of inter-personal violence and the quality of policing in the country,” he explained.
Rohee said the drug information network was created through his ministry in November 2008, with membership of all law enforcement agencies, among others, since then several meetings have been held and the issues addressed had to do with the drug demand reduction and supply, the agencies involved, compiling of annual reports, unilateral mechanisms of OAS and standardisation of data collected.
He stated that the project is part and parcel of a capacity building programme that will complement the enhancing fulfillment of the ministry’s mandate.
Treaty Officer in the Ministry, Ms. Candace Elias confirmed that inking of the pact would assist this country in combating crime and violence.

BASIS
She concurred that the basis of it is the provision of support to the ministry to increase its capacity for data collection, in respect of crime fighting and development of the policy initiative.
Moses said the OAS is pleased with the participation of the Guyana Government in international public security observatories in the Caribbean region.
He outlined that the project is coordinated by the Department of Public Security in the OAS Secretariat, for multi-dimensional security and is funded by the Government of Canada.
Moses said its focus is to assist sister Caribbean countries to establish and strengthen security observatories and improve their capabilities for collecting data and statistics on crime and public security issues.
He said the intention is to set up units in countries where none existed and enhance capabilities in the existing ones and a main feature of the project is to strengthen the Office of the United Nations (UN) on drugs and crime and its trends.
Additionally, the undertaking seeks to share information among member countries and, ultimately, develop regional indicators that are unique to the Caribbean.
Moses pointed out that the overall goal is to contribute to greater security and the improvement of economic well-being in the citizenry of countries in the Region.
He said, presently, Barbados, Belize, St. Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago are involved and participation in the project is viewed as critical in meeting the initiative.
Moses said, in the establishment of the unit locally, computers, printers, scanners and initial funding for the coordination of the project will be provided and participating countries are expected to continue the process after the initial OAS financing.