– Home Affairs Minister at CPG outreach in Mon Repos
As Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee continued his security outreach Friday evening, engaging residents of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, he stated that members of Community Policing Groups (CPGs) across the country will be recognized for their voluntary efforts to aid in the prevention of crime and criminal activities in communities.
He also advised Mon Repos residents that, while vehicular patrols are good, foot patrols are strategic in accessing information, moreso averting criminal activities in the area.
Deputy Divisional Commander, “C” Division, Eric Bassant, posited that CPG members need to work out an effective foot patrol strategy which will yield maximum results.
And Dennis Pompey, Administrator for National CPGs, added that members need to understand that foot patrols are not about walking down a street with a gun, but rather, about strategising and averting criminal activities. Further, during the day, surveys should be conducted in the area to ascertain the route they should take where persons traversing the area by nights would not see them, but where they (CPG members) members can monitor persons movements.
Government’s policy and position on community policing has been supportive over the years, and it has seen government investing millions of dollars to provide CPG members with the necessary training and tools which equip them to effectively and efficiently confront criminals and criminal activities across the country.
And so the CPG outreach programme, where Minister Rohee and his team, comprising a representative from the National CPG body, along with the divisional hierarchies of the police force, to communities with the aim of listening to their concerns. This has proven to be successful and has brought to the forefront the need for the continuous training of CPG members.
This training is not only physical or based on crime detection, but is also one where rural constables particularly are trained in certain aspects of policing which will cause them to be more effective in their roles, first as Rural Constables, then as CPG members.