‘A’ DIVISION Commander Assistant Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken has unveiled security plans for this division during the upcoming Christmas season, as the police launched its Christmas security policing arrangement.In the conference room of the Guyana Police Force Officers Training Complex at Young Street and Camp Road, Kingston, Commander Hicken spoke extensively last Friday on the level of police patrols within his division to address the issues of crime and security.
SECTORAL APPROACH

He said Georgetown will be divided into five sectors for adequate policing, and that officers assigned to those sectors will have a better hands-on approach in overseeing their respective spans of control. All sectors will be headed by assistant police superintendents, who will be assisted by cadet officers or police inspectors as availability dictates.

Additionally, ranks from the Intelligence Unit and the Criminal Investigation Department will have an increased presence around commercial banks and major hot spots, while foot, vehicular and motorcycle patrols would be increased within Georgetown.

Commander Hicken said that as is customary, the police would be increasing its uniform and plainclothes presence around the Georgetown Prisons, nightspots and other places of business such as commercial banks and post offices during this Christmas season.

Roadblocks and stop-and-search exercises remain a feature and posture of the police force, because the initiative has been working well, although the procedure employed is different compared to what obtained in times gone by.

MORE ROADBLOCKS
Commander Hicken gave the assurance that ‘A’ Division will be seeing an increase in the number of roadblocks and stop-and-search exercises. Many of those will, however, be done as a result of intelligence that the police would have been able to gather, much to the credit of its social crime- prevention initiatives.

During this Christmas season, ranks on patrol will be working shifts, beginning from as early as 07:00 hrs, when they will be briefed and sent to their various posts. By noon, the other shift will be signed on, causing a one-hour overlapping so as to cater for the increase in the number of persons who may be leaving their offices and other places of business to do shopping during their lunch break.

The first team will conclude their day’s work at 18:00 hrs, while the team that signed on at noon will conclude their day’s patrolling at 19:00 hrs.
The division will be adjusting its arrangement so as to accommodate the high level of activities on December 22, 24, 29 and 31. The motorcycle patrols will be deployed from the Police Impact Base at the Brickdam Police Station.