THE Guyana Police Force (GPF) responded on Friday to an article published in a section of the media and attributed to comments made by Alliance For Change (AFC) Councillor Mr. Harry Narine Deokinanan to the effect that there is “rampant criminal activity” in the communities of Tuschen Housing Scheme and Zeelugt Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo, in the Police ‘D’ Division.

The GPF said it wishes to state that available statistics do not support assertions contained in the article.

The comments by Mr. Harry Narine Deokinanan were published in an article in the Kaieteur News of Tuesday December 9, 2104, under the heading “Crime forces family to flee home.”

The Police have said their records indicate that, unto December 09, 2014, there has been an overall 30% decrease in serious crime in that policing division. Specifically, there has been a 33% decrease in serious crime in the communities of Zeelugt Housing Scheme and Tuschen Housing Scheme, along with Zeelugt North and Tuschen North.

In terms of policing the area, in addition to routine mobile police patrols in the communities, the members of active community policing groups in the Tuschen Housing Scheme and Zeelugt North assist the police in their crime-fighting efforts.

The ‘D’ Division Administration has reopened the community policing patrol base in the Tuschen Housing Scheme area during August of this year, following the launching of the Safe Neighbourhood Project: C-PETS, Creating Positive Environments through Safer Communities and Partnerships, in the community of Tuschen on July 10, 2014.

The patrol base in operationalised through police ranks and members of the community policing group, who are available on a 24-hour basis and do patrols in the community.

In addition to its law enforcement activities in the Tuschen/Zeeburg communities, through its social intervention project, C-PETS, the Division has managed to build community partnership and improve police/community relations.

C-PETS has seen the building of partnerships with stakeholders, community involvement, and significant collaboration with the faith-based organizations, which has the overall objective of reducing crime and the fear of crime in the communities, and enhancing community safety and security while empowering youths and reducing incidents of domestic violence.

The GPF reiterates that there is no upsurge of crime in the communities of Tuschen and Zeeburg, EBE. On the contrary, the occurrence of serious crime has been significantly minimised through the policing strategies employed together with social intervention projects that have been established.

(Michel Outridge)