THE Government of Guyana has had favourable responses from the international community in its request for crime-fighting assistance.This new input is expected to bolster local efforts. At present, a high-level taskforce meets weekly to review crime statistics and examine response methodologies used by the Guyana Police Force to determine ways to effectively tackle all forms of criminal activities in the country.

The APNU+AFC Administration had asked the British Government and several foreign agencies to assist Guyana’s crime-fighting efforts.
“We are receiving help, international help. There is a training programme going on now with the police, with some foreign law enforcement agencies that are assisting in the training and capacity-building of the police force and crime scene investigations and matters of that nature,” Minister of State Joseph Harmon told media operatives at his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing yesterday.
Minister Harmon made reference to the security sector reform programme which the British Government had offered to fund. The previous Government had turned down the British offer,
“That was a huge sum of money we had to give up, because the Administration was concerned about the training methodology and the persons who have been in charge of certain things. That meant we gave up all the funds under that assistance programme, Minister Harmon elaborated.
The minister was asked to provide an update on the Government’s crime-fighting plan in response to the current crime situation. He explained that this plan is currently being reviewed by the Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, and should be made public in due course.
However, he pointed out that elements of the plan are currently being implemented. “Crime is such a fluid thing, and you just can’t wait until the master plan is put out before you start responding to things that are happening on the streets,” he said.
Minister Harmon further stated that there is now a greater level of coordination between law-enforcement agencies, specifically in the sharing of information on crime and crime statistics and other intelligence sharing.
The minister referred to the conference on cyber-crime which opened yesterday, stating that, “We recognise that there are some limitations where that is concerned, but it is the direction in which we are moving,” he said, indicating the Government’s efforts to address cybercrime.
The high-level team is comprises Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo; Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan; Minister of State Joseph Harmon; Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General Basil Williams; Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force Brigadier Mark Phillips; Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud; the Head of the National Intelligence Committee.