THE Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), in collaboration with the Guyana Police Force (GPF), has launched the training programme for ranks who would be involved in the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) corps of the Guyana Police Force.

This programme was launched yesterday at the Police Officers’ Training Centre at Camp and Young Streets in Kingston, Georgetown.

Minister Clement Rohee said the team was established in fulfillment of Government’s commitment to the citizens of Guyana, and is not intended to oppress or suppress members of the public, but rather to discharge its lawful responsibilities.

Rohee added that the SWAT team will not be used as a ‘political tool’, and is simply launched to fulfil certain professional responsibilities, based on the Guyana Police Force’s Standard Operation Procedures (SOPS).

He explained that there will be no political interference in the operations of this SWAT team, because the SWAT is part and parcel of the GPF, and falls under the direct command and control of Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell.

Explaining how the chain of command works, Rohee said the Home Affairs Minister gives general orders and directives, but the Police Commissioner fulfils the mandate of the Force.

Rohee said the Government of Guyana and the MoHA are not comfortable with the current crime rate, especially serious crimes committed with the use of firearms. He said the current crime rate must be brought down significantly, because the GPF is equipped to perform.

He said there must be no ‘comfort zone’ in serious crimes, since there is no crime statistics we can live with, and the GPF must adopt the “value for money” strategy by producing good results for the benefit of citizens.

Rohee noted that the MoHA has delivered the much-needed resources to the GPF. He said that from 2004 to 2013, the MoHA has expended G$1.2B for land and water transport and G$2B for specialised equipment for the GPF.

Rohee said that despite the controversy swirling around establishment of a SWAT team, the Government went ahead with its formation, since a policy decision had been taken by the Government after committing itself in the PPP/C 2006-2011 manifesto.

Despite ‘talk’ surrounding the formation of this SWAT team, Rohee said, “It will prove useful for the people of Guyana, who are the ultimate beneficiaries, and its establishment was justified many moons ago”.

He said: “I am not an expert on security, and I don’t have a wealth of information on security matters…. But this [SWAT Team] is not a backward movement. The Guyana Police Force does not move backward”.

Under the theme “Training with the focus of maximising vision, skills and art for enhancing leadership for a modern GPF”, 27 ranks drawn from the GPF began official training by the contractor, The Emergence Group (TEG), to design and implement the unit.

Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Leroy Brumell remarked that there was the need to establish the SWAT team in light of sporadic situations emerging. He said that if not managed effectively, these situations can evolve into acts of terrorism, therefore the SWAT team is vital for the organisational structure of the GPF.

He added that the SWAT is a specialised group drawn from the GPF to deal with hostage/rescue, resolving high risk situations, and suppressing acts of terrorism.
The selection process was based on several criteria set out by senior management of the GPF, which are as follows: age, health, mindset, years of service, experience, and conduct.

Brumell pointed out that the most important aspects of the unit are discipline, training and professionalism.

Speaking on behalf of TEG, Retired Ambassador Dennis Hays, who is the Director of TEG, said that
when society has a dedicated, well-trained force, it can anticipate and act in situations to resolve violent situations in a professional way with the use of minimum force.

Hays noted that, through rigorous training, the team will be able to handle such situations, make quick assessment of any situation, and apply its training to achieve the desired result.

He said the SWAT team would be trained to resolve issues by employing the lowest levels of force, and the most suitable persons have been selected for the training.

Also making remarks was Permanent Secretary of MoHA, Angela Johnson, and Senior Superintendent/Force Training Officer, Paul Williams.
Written By Michel Outridge