WHILE 30 bicycles were donated to the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) just last year, councillors heard on Monday how of the 10 that have been in use, five are down at the moment and need repairs.

Mayor Patricia Chase-Green asked where the other bicycles were, and Acting Chief Constable Laurel Gittens offered that they were locked inside a room at City Hall.
The response led to councillors questioning why more bicycles were not brought out to replace the five that are unserviceable at the moment. Gittens responded that they were not handed over to her by Chief Constable Andrew Foo, before he proceeded on his 42 days’ vacation leave lately.

Furthermore, she attempted to explain that only 10 bicycles were being used because of a shortage of manpower in the Constabulary Department.
Councillors again wanted to know why the brand new bicycles that are reportedly stored away, could not be brought out to replace the five dysfunctional ones. In fact, Councillor Heston Bostwick pointed out that to his knowledge, it would not cost the municipality more than $3,000 to repair one of the cycles.

“This is unacceptable. It doesn’t make sense to me,” Councillor Monica Thomas stated and she also questioned why Gittens does not have access to the bicycles.
“Of course it’s unacceptable, because it shows that there is no vision,” Chase-Green responded, as she recalled how the municipality was clear on servicing and other details when the bicycles were received.

Councillor Andrea Marks said she could not understand how only 10 bicycles are in use, because in the past she was told that all 30 are being used. “I’m surprised at what I am hearing,” she said.
Councillor Bishram Kuppen recalled that the last time the chief constable went on leave that there was no access to the records. He added that since Gittens is acting in his (Foo’s) capacity, she is in charge and should have access to the bicycles.

Kuppen said the City Council needs to find out where those bicycles are.
Two hundred bicycles and accessories were handed over in August 2017 to the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Georgetown City Constabulary by the United States, through the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) at the Tactical Service Unit (TSU) Square, Eve Leary.

The donation, worth over US$145,000, saw the GPF receiving 170 bicycles with 30 being assigned to the City Constabulary.
At that handing over ceremony, Chase Green shared that the donation was part of a broader commitment to a stronger regional security, through the Caribbean-based community initiative and programmes like this (police cycling training).
She had indicated that officers already trained in police cycling will instruct others how to ride the bicycles.