THE several packed courtrooms and the many adjournments of cases in the Georgetown Magistrates Courts are being blamed for the biggest downtime, resulting in the Guyana Police Force (GPF) not being able to contribute tangibly to its day-to-day operations.

This is according to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law Enforcement) Seelall Persaud.
Speaking last Friday at the Police Officers’ Mess, Eve Leary, in Georgetown, he said that there are too many times when a significant number of ranks visit the courts to give evidence in cases only to find that they will be unable to do so, because of the amount of cases magistrates have to deal with on a given day.
Persaud said many of the cases involve repeat offenders and the granting of bail to persons which cause police ranks to have to return for various sittings.
However, the issue is being addressed and work has started in that regard to reduce those instances, he added.
Persaud said, recently, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee led a delegation comprising the Commissioner of Police and the Director of Prisons and their respective teams to meet with the Chancellor of the Judiciary, Chief Magistrate and other members of the court system.
The Crime Chief said there were some positives coming out of the meeting and one of the things agreed upon is the amount of cases which are sent to the courts for trial on any given day.
He said this move will see less ranks being present at the courts for the purpose of giving evidence and their time will be utilised in getting other duties of the Force done.
Other duties
In addition, Persaud added that would cause other ranks, who are not required to be at the courts, being given the time to attend other duties, as they will not be as tied up as their colleagues.
Persaud said the action would also cause less persons, particularly civilians, going to court to give evidence in police matters and have to be frustrated by the fact that the cases are put off or delayed.
He said the interest that persons show when they take someone to court is not the same as when they have to appear to assist the police in prosecuting their cases.
Persaud said that regular appearances or visits to the courts in relation to cases deter potential witnesses and even existing witnesses for the police.
According to him, the police have been able to get the support of the public in the areas of giving statements, participating in identifying persons on identification parades and even turning up to testify against those persons.
The Crime Chief said the police continue to get the cooperation of the public, at times, but what is extremely important to this process is the confidence of those persons in the Police Force and the judicial system, as well.
Asked about some of the other measures discussed to address congestion, Persaud said there was the suggestion coming up, again, of night courts and the operation of additional courts.
He said the meeting also examined more frequent court sittings in the hinterland locations, which at this time, only see a magistrate every three months.
Persaud said they also talked about adding another court at Sparendaam on the East Coast of Demerara, but he could not say how soon all those brilliant suggestions and ideas will come into play, pointing out that, presently, the police and the magistracy are working and will continue to work with what is practical.