City Constabulary short of staff
Chief Constable Andrew Foo
Chief Constable Andrew Foo

— but will help parking meter patrolling teams

THE parking meter system that has been implemented recently is expected to have an adverse effect on the City Constabulary of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), which has for the longest while been short of staff.

According to Chief Constable Andrew Foo at the most recent statutory meeting, the department is currently short of 138 staff members, but even so, officers will have to be dispatched to the enforcement teams belonging to Smart City Solutions (SCS).

The company had told the Chronicle in a recent interview that their patrolling teams around the city will have to include constabulary officers.

Asked how he believes this will impact his department, Foo told this newspaper:

“It’s very tight, because we are constrained in terms of our numbers. But we have a mandate and once it’s an initiative of the Council, then the constabulary has to work in that area. It now becomes a part of our mandate.”

For the time being though, Foo said the department will have to work with whatever resources it has until additional persons can be recruited.

The Constabulary has responsibility for the prevention and detection of crime in Georgetown and has similar powers and privileges of the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

It also has authority to prosecute persons for offences such as assault, disorderly behaviour, urinating in public places, using indecent language, encumbering the pavements and so forth.

The department also provides security for municipal markets, day-care centres, koker pumps and City Hall buildings, among others. Providing security alone takes up much of the department’s resources, Foo had once told the Chronicle.

The Enforcement Unit, which deals with itinerant vending and other breaches of the laws, is also very small and short of its full complement of staff.

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2 thoughts on “City Constabulary short of staff”

  1. Most of the Constabulary Staff will now focus their attention on the Parking meters., the market vendors will get some breathing space. The Parking meters, It is an OPEN HOUSE for the Cheese.

  2. I was assaulted by one of them today,a city counstable …I was verbal abused and threatened because I did not fall into an officers’ arms. he threated that he will not let me rest and make sure I am put in jail(he had one cocktail of a story instead of telling them he wanted my number). I fear being on the road without these ranging people attack me. I plan to make report early in the morning and pray GOD this TRANSPARENT GOVERNEMENT and free of corruptions listen to my plight because I do not want to end up in a drain with a battered body and no one to take the blame oh did I mentioned I have to go to court…im being accused of “ASSULT TO AN
    OFFICER”

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