THE Guyana Police Force Impact Project will soon be rolled out in Rosemary Lane, Tiger Bay, and already, moves have started to have community leaders identified, who will serve as the link between the police and the community.

On Friday, ‘A’ Division Commander, Clifton Hicken; Deputy Commander, Dion Moore; Traffic Officer, Calvin Brutus; and Complaints Officer, Assistant Superintendent Cristal Robinson visited the community and held a three-hour walk about when they met with residents.
The community, unlike previous encounters with the police, was very accommodating of the police ranks and even joined them during their walkabout.

The police ranks told the residents that the arrangement in Albouystown, where the police have an almost 24-hour presence will not be the same arrangement in Rosemary Lane, which is part of an area known as ‘Tiger Bay.’
The officers told the residents that based on an assessment of the area, it was found that there is no need for the police to have a presence in the community like in Albouystown, since the activities which occur there do not happen in their community.
Hicken told the residents that the police are working to ensure that there is no longer the confrontation type of policing, unless it is absolutely necessary. The meeting on Friday saw the commander tasking the community with identifying persons among themselves who will organise others to be part of the Impact Project.
Hicken agreed to ensure that the Community Centre located in the area which residents said was not very safe to inhabit will be rehabilitated. The first major step in the collaboration between the police and the community will be this coming Sunday when the police from ‘A’ Division will lead a high level team into the community along with other junior ranks to conduct a community outreach.
All the programmes of the Impact Project which are to be indoors, including teaching and other classes, will be done in the community centre building in Rosemary Lane.
The young people of the community even asked the commander to assist with the establishment of a unified and structured football team. They pointed out that they do have players but no sponsors, a proper practice area or football gear. Hicken committed to adopting the Rosemary Lane football team.

(By Asif Hakim)