WITNESSING the launch of Guyana’s SWAT team early last Thursday was truly a moving and powerful moment for the peoples of our beautiful and promising Guyana.Personally, I am exhilarated, excited, bubbling with personal joy, as if it is a personal achievement. It may be personal too.Since I remigrated to Guyana in 1993, I have been calling for the establishment of a SWAT unit; and even before, in 1997, I wrote Commissioner Lloyd Barker for a local Crime Reaction Unit: Not too long after the famous ‘Blue Clothes’ was effected, which later became the ‘Black Clothes’ under Mr. Laurie Lewis. I kept writing in the print media, and with discussions on the electronic media when invited to discuss crime, and on my personal programme, and I kept demanding that a SWAT team be established in this country.

The most recent demand for the SWAT from this writer came at the ‘wake’ of young Zulfikar Namdar, son of famous Muslim activist and humanitarian, Sheikh Goolzar Namdar, which was attended by thousands of people, including His Excellency Donald Ramotar, the President of the Republic; Hon. Minister of Tourism Irfaan Ali, diplomats and peoples of all sectors of Guyana’s society, from all over Guyana. I made a resounding call, in a most powerful voice, on a powerful microphone that the time is now for the establishment of “Team Swat Guyana” or a similar unit, which could move fast, with the most sophisticated firepower and explosive devices, which will protect the peoples of this country, and even send ‘shock and awe’ on the criminals. In less than 24 hours, we heard and read in the media that the Government will see that the team is established, and the Minister of Home Affairs, the Hon. Clement Rohee, went into action to see it done. Kudos, Minister Rohee. Kudos, Government of Guyana.
Many have tried to get me to disrespect the Hon. Minister in discussions at various functions on the cocktail circuit, and to think him a ‘lilliputian,’ but I will let them know he is a ‘Gulliver….a giant of a man with elite brains.’ I serve with this man on a professional basis, on a most important board in this country as a Commissioner in The National Commission on Law and Order, and am involved in various other activities and boards managed by his ministry, e.g., the Prison Sentence Management Board, and even as Chairman of interviewing panels, etc. It is my personal honour and opportunity to serve with him, and be guided by him. He has the most achievements in the crime fighting sector than any other minister in the history of Guyana. Maybe it is time the PR (public relations) people of the Ministry of Home Affairs publish and list the achievements of the ministry during his period as minister. He is also someone who listens.
While I was demanding this team in Guyana – over the decades of course, there were others also in action requesting and demanding that this unit be established. I salute their foresight. Many Home Affairs Ministers since 1992 have been speaking of it; but again, in my opinion, it is another great achievement for Minister Rohee, who has caused enormous, positive strides in the crime-fighting sector.
The terroristic and vicious criminals have been wreaking havoc in the city, the coastlands and interior. This must be put to an end. The people have their rights to enjoy and earn by hard work in any legal endeavour, no one has a right to take their property, and more so kill or try to kill them.
Thank you, Minister Rohee; and thanks, Government of Guyana. It has been a long wait, but we now have SWAT.
Written By ROSHAN KHAN
CEO/Founder
RK’s Guyana Security Services
Commissioner,
National Commission on law and Order