A PRIMARY responsibility of the State  is to ensure that its citizens  experience a sense and feeling of being safe in their homes, at work, in their communities, and the country generally. It is natural that their expectations are high.

Meeting these expectations requires the deployment of much energy and resources, especially when it is looked at in the context of its role in the overall wellbeing of the people and development of the country. Additionally, there is the changing nature of crime and the need for law enforcement agencies to be pro-active and ahead of law-breakers.
Citizen security is about employing all-embracing approaches. It is about the State and its Institutions working with the people to achieve maximum benefits. The multi-million dollar Citizen Security Programme, funded by the Government of Guyana and the Inter American Development Bank, has introduced technology and best-practices, and has demonstrated that there are few other options to follow in the pursuit of solutions.
A key component of the CSP has been Community Action, a highly successful pilot programme in ten communities in Regions Four and Six. In these communities, people, and especially youths who were considered vulnerable to embark on a life of crime and violence, were at the centre of initiatives of vocational and skills training, recreation, and crime and violence reduction.
It is sad to learn on a daily basis the results of violent behaviour, behaviour in extreme cases that lead to loss of lives and serious injury. This column recognizes that within the ten communities, there has been a noticeable reduction in crime and violence. Much of this can be credited to Community Action where community members were made to understand anti-social and deviant behaviours and learn how to deal with them in the interest of their own neighbourhoods.
They have developed among them a high level of self esteem, an important characteristic that guides people to proper behaviour. This is important at a time when societies all across the world are grappling with issues that include domestic violence, child abuse and drug abuse.
The lesson here is that Government can only do so much, it is the members of the communities and institutions within them to take the lead and work towards establishing safer neighbourhoods.
Earlier mention of the State’s responsibility was highlighted by the unveiling of the five-year, 2013 – 2017, Security Strategic Plan by the Honourable Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee.
This Plan has seen the support from a wide cross-section of society, including the labour movement and the business sector.
It is unfortunate though that the political opposition chose to differ. They have been criticizing every security effort and calling for a plan to deal with security matters. But given their track record, it is not surprising that they failed to acknowledge any merit in the measures outlined in the Plan. While they have never proposed any measure of their own, they chose to assassinate the character and leadership qualities of Minister Rohee.
In the midst of all the criticisms and venom displayed by this group, citizens who ought to demonstrate some sense of responsibility, Minister Rohee responded for the benefit of the majority.
The intent of the Plan is clear. Is he disappointed? It is worth repeating what the Minister said.
“Were the opposition to move away from their narrow, myopic approach in viewing developments in the security sector, they would obviously see the holistic, well thought-out and carefully executed new dispensation prevailing in the sector.
“One of the characteristic features of this new dispensation in the involvement of the Private Sector and other Non-Governmental Stakeholders in the process of institutional strengthening and capacity building of the institutions under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
“ Never in the history of our country and this sector in particular has there been such productive involvement of Non-Governmental Stakeholders, in assisting to build greater confidence in and in support for the security sector.”
Next week’s column will examine in detail how the Strategic Plan addresses the Guyana Police Service, both as an institution and its human capital, and as the principal law enforcement agency in the country.