–King calls on Police to keep Constabulary in the loop  

TOWN Clerk Royston King has written to the Commissioner of Police requesting that a structured communication approach be put in place between the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Constabulary Department of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC).  King said he’s “very troubled” at the fact that after the first jail break recently, Chief Constable Andrew Foo had no formal information from the GPF on the matter.  Speaking with city councillors at the statutory meeting on Monday, King said a meeting will be convened shortly between the two parties to discuss how this system can become a reality.  He conceded that the Constabulary Department is not properly equipped and resourced, but noted that the laws provide for it to be informed of certain developments by the GPF.

RATE OF ABSENTEEISM 
Some city councillors, however, pointed out that the department is not performing well at the moment, and referred to the extremely high rate of absenteeism that has been plaguing it for the longest while. Councillor, Malcolm Ferreira, for instance, noted that some 58 staff members were granted leave approval in June by the medical department. “This building (is) getting people sick? Something is definitely wrong,” he said. Although other departments also suffer from absenteeism, the rate can never be compared to the constabulary, Ferreira noted.  Mayor Patricia Chase-Green noted that a welfare officer was employed by the municipality to look into issues like these, but the number of reports going to him is overwhelming.  Just recently, Ferreira pointed out to council, in just one month, 32 members of the Constabulary stayed home from work.     With the department short of staff for the longest while, Ferreira raised the issue of the “unusually high” number of absent and sick days that were recorded in a recent month. He questioned if it was something in the environment that was causing so many persons to become ill at the same time, or whether it was simply an excuse to stay off the job. The mayor responded that this seems to be a pattern in the Constabulary Department, and that the Chief Constable ought to take a grip of his officers.    The Chief Constable had told a recent statutory meeting that the department is currently short of 138 staff members. The Constabulary has responsibility for the prevention and detection of crime in Georgetown, along with similar powers and privileges to that of members of the GPF. It also has authority to prosecute persons for offences such as assault, disorderly behaviour, urinating in public places, using indecent language and encumbering the pavements, among others. The department also provides security for the municipal markets, day-care centres,koker pumps and City Hall buildings, among other facilities. Providing security alone takes up much of the department’s resources, Foo had once told the Guyana Chronicle.    The Enforcement Unit, which deals with itinerant vending and other breaches of the city by-laws, is also very small and short of its full complement of staff.