COMMANDER of ‘D’ Division (West Bank Demerara-East Bank Essequibo), Senior Superintendent Edmond Cooper, has urged police personnel in the region to continually exhibit professionalism in discharging their duties in the region.

The commander, on Friday during a divisional muster with 159 ranks, awarded some for their nifty turn out.

Commander Cooper addressed the ranks after he would have inspected them. He encouraged the ranks to be disciplined at all times and told them that they should have integrity while embracing current reforms, noting that all ranks of the division must work together as a team to move forward.

In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, the commander said the Guyana Police Force is more closely scrutinised and subject to more uninformed and biased criticism than any other occupational group.

“Just putting on the uniform does not make you a police officer, but rather what comes out from you makes your profession worthy, try as much as possible to be highly professional and exhibit the professionalism you were thought at the training school to bring character to our work in service to the nation,” the commander related to ranks.

He said over the years police have established and maintained effective partnerships with numerous groups in the communities to address various issues of crime while working to have it under control.

Underscoring that the existing synergy that results from community policing can be powerful, the senior superintended said law enforcement officers must put their ears to the ground and focus on information that will assist the police force in its cause to serve and protect.

He explained that there “truly is nothing like the feeling that you’ve done something to make someone else’s life just a little better.”

“If you encounter a police officer on the job, you’re probably not having a very good day. But most cops know that they can affect the outcome simply based on what they do or how they treat you. Whether it’s by helping you change a tyre on the side of the road, showing a little compassion and empathy on a traffic stop or at a crash scene, or helping you see that justice is done if you’re a victim of a crime, police and officers rarely forget that most of us took the job because we wanted to help others,” he explained.