There is little doubt that closer police-community relations, or its restoration, is an urgent priority in the future plans for policing in Guyana.

The reasons are all too well known and overwhelming. It therefore needs no repeating, except that if such an important component has ever been necessary it is now. In fact, its undeniable value has been emphasised recently by President Donald Ramotar, when he addressed the opening of the annual Police Officers’ conference. Even the indefatigable Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Clement Rohee is on record stressing its invaluable contribution towards defeating criminal enterprise.
Giving further weight to this all important goal has been the newly installed Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud who, within days of taking office, visited the Southern Ward of Georgetown, announcing an outreach project, a multi-faceted social programme designed to assist in the improvement of social standards, but with the ultimate end product of a better community working in collaboration with the Guyana Police Force.
This initiative, also introduced in the crime challenged Berbice County, has borne great fruit with the arrest of persons wanted for murders, armed robberies, and other criminal acts.
Thanks to the personalised strategy of community walkabouts, led by the county’s Commander, Assistant Commissioner Brian Joseph, citizens have been volunteering vital and confidential information to the authorities that has led to better police functioning, with the region’s security greatly improved, since many criminal gangs have been dismantled.

Berbicians are more assured of their general safety and protection by law enforcement. For this, Commander Joseph and his men ought to be highly commended for the efficient job, still a work in process, for reducing the very high levels of serious crimes in the Region 6 locale, especially.

As had been editorialised some time ago, on the police and the importance of community involvement in crime fighting, the latter is an indispensable component in defeating criminality in any State. For it is a given that for every crime committed, there is someone within the community who has information on its perpetrator(s), as to where, and when.

The Berbice example, already bearing great fruit, is indeed a sterling example of what can be achieved when a community and those charged with its security and protection, join together to confront those who seek to endanger the peace of citizens.