PRESIDENTIAL Adviser on National Security, Brigadier Edward Collins, is in support of the decision taken by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to close the operations of the Berbice Anti-Smuggling Squad (BASS).  Brigadier Collins, who just concluded a four-day outreach in Regions 5 and 6 to assess the security resources in those regions, said that BASS was merely duplicating the efforts of GRA’s law enforcement arm and often operated contrary to the mandate of the revenue body.
During the outreach, Collins visited several police stations and engaged with senior ranks within B’ Division and its sub-divisions, the traffic department and the CID.
“It was a very worthwhile visit and I am convinced that there are men and women in the Guyana Police Force that are committed to the fight against crime. They have put forward workable solutions, and with the support of the Presidency, there will be improvements,” Brigadier Collins said.
Brigadier Collins also said he was particularly heartened by Commander Christopher Griffith’s plan to resuscitate inactive Community Policing Groups (CPGs) and to lend more support to the active ones. This, he said, is a sure way of bridging whatever gaps may exist between the police and residents. The region has a total of 89 CPGs, 28 of which are currently inactive.
With regard to resources, Brigadier Collins said that with the exception of the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), which the Force has been using to profile arrested persons, there is need for additional equipment. These include vehicles and communication devices such as radio sets.
Brigadier Collins will be visiting law enforcement agencies in other regions across Guyana, after which he will be presenting a full report to President David Granger with the view of making the Police Force more efficient and better placed to serve the citizenry.