– as Gov’t continues to make strategic interventions to eradicate crime, violence in communities
THE Government of Guyana continues to make strategic interventions to eradicate  crime and violence in communities, through the implementation of various components of the Citizen Security Programme (CSP), including the Community Action Component (CAC). In line with this objective, an inter-agency meeting and workshop was convened yesterday at Grand Coastal Inn,  East Coast Demerara.
The primary aim of the interaction was to analyse the array of regional indicators of co-existence and citizen security and establish mechanisms for standardisation and implementation in the country, while exchanging experiences on corporate information systems.
The development of this system of indicators has been supported by the Regional Public Goods Programme (RPGP) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), directed to stimulate innovative public policy solutions that respond to transnational challenges or opportunities that are conceived and applied by means of collective action among countries in the region.
As to the purpose of this event, CSP Project Coordinator, Mr. Khemraj Rai explained that the intention is to ensure the security of the people of Guyana through different mechanisms, training, modernisation of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Ministry of Home Affairs and the implementation of  the CAC aspect of the CSP.
“Today’s workshop is intended to develop criteria for indicators measuring safe neighbourhoods. However, this is a regional effort. Guyana is having its own but will make input into the regional effort,” he said.
Rai noted, too, that the intent is to build safe neighbourhoods in ten different communities selected, as this concept coincides with that of peaceful co-existence and citizens security.
He emphasised that the 10 communities were chosen  on the basis of availability of resources and expressed the hope that the entire country will be involved in similar such programmes.
According to him, Guyana’s representation means that, when the region has come up with its own, there would be indicators which will be relevant to Guyana, as well.
“That is what we expect at the end of the workshop, that we would have indicators that will reflect the status in Guyana and we will also be able to adopt some indicators from other countries that we think are relevant for our policymakers to look at as it regards peaceful coexistence and citizens security,” Rai said.
Strategic partners accompanying the initiative are the IDB and the Institute for Research and Development on Violence Prevention and Promotion of Social Coexistence, CISALVA.
CISALVA Representative, Ms. Maria Isabel Gutierrez pointed out that it is essential to understand the ways in which institutions of the country address the issues of coexistence and citizen security, the size, form of measurement, sources of information and resources, methods used and some intervention initiatives on the problems that arise from the use of existing indicators.
In addition, she explained that the objective is  to develop a Regional System of Standardised Indicators in Peaceful Coexistence and Citizen Security that permits  measurement, monitoring and comparison of related regional phenomena and to strengthen the capacities of regional decision-makers in formulating, implementing  and evaluating violence prevention and peaceful coexistence programmes.
Participants in yesterday’s exercise included representatives of the GPF, Ministries of Home Affairs and Health, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and Women Affairs Bureau (WAB) among others.
The CSP was conceptualised to use a comprehensive structure of crime and violence prevention strategies to assist in decreasing the present crime rate in Guyana and facilitating smaller community action projects that are geared to promote community cohesion and intra-community camaraderie.
The goal of the CAC is to assist communities to become sustainable in their function as a neighbourhood in which all persons are included in the creation of a safe environment and young people are provided with opportunities that will prevent them from participating in criminal and violent activities