• 2019 Mid-Year Report

SOME $15B of $35B budgeted has been spent thus far on the security sector at mid-year as government continues to place emphasis on providing law and order, protection of the populace and safeguarding of Guyana’s borders.

This is according to the Finance Ministry’s 2019 Mid-Year Report.
“During the first half of 2019, the sum of $6.1B was expended towards a number of activities to further strengthen the Guyana Police Force’s objective to deliver the highest standard of professional police services, and to serve and protect citizens by preventing and detecting all forms of crime in the maintenance of law, order and the preservation of the peace,” the report stated.

Through various interventions, the report stated that serious crime declined by 3.2 per cent in the first half of 2019.

Some of these interventions include training of 124 ranks in basic forensic bloodstain pattern recognition; forensic video analysis; advanced crime scene photography; scene drawing; and community-based crime prevention strategies in 10 communities.
Further, it was noted that of the nearly $700M that was budgeted for the construction and improvement of police stations, the sum of $78.2 million was expended as at the end of June 2019.

Designs for police stations and divisional headquarters at Golden Grove, Fort Wellington, Mabaruma and Mahdia have been completed and construction is anticipated to commence in the second half of the year.

Further, the report stated that of the $0.5B budgeted for vehicular and marine fleets, canine and mounted branches, and equipment for GPF, approximately $84.8 million was expended at the end of the first half of 2019.

In addition, the Finance Ministry’s report stated that during the same period, the Guyana Forensic lab was equipped with DNA and gun residue testing machines to conduct DNA analysis to aid in solving crimes.

Meanwhile, the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) spent $165.1M of the budgeted sum of $350M in the first half of 2019.

“During this period, a total of 112.9 kilogrammes of cocaine, 186.2 kilogrammes of cannabis, 36 grammes of ecstasy, and 590 grammes of unknown substances were seized,” the report stated.

SAFER PRISONS
Additionally, the Guyana Prison Service, in delivering its mandate of ensuring safe custody and effective rehabilitation of inmates, was allocated approximately $4B towards the maintenance and improvement of the prison environment across the country.
“Designing the reconstruction of the New Amsterdam Prison will commence during the second half of this year. Some components for the rebuilding of the Camp Street Prison, including steel cells, have already been procured, with works to begin in the second half,” the report noted.

The expansion of the Mazaruni Prison is ongoing and the project remains on track for completion in the second half of 2020. These upgraded facilities are intended to alleviate the overcrowding situation across the prison system.

The Finance Ministry report stated that the procurement of equipment intended to improve the safety of officers and inmates, including body scanners, has commenced and is expected to be concluded in the second half.

“To ensure that the prison service is staffed with qualified and competent officers, with the necessary skill set to allow them to effectively manage this complex environment, 24 new recruits were trained in the areas of supervision, correctional emergency response, leadership, and emergency medical procedures, among others. The recruitment drive in the first half of 2019 brought the size of the service to just over 500 officers, still short of the required 601,” the report stated.

Additionally, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) continues to work assiduously to ensure that it fulfills its mandate of protecting life and property.

The report noted that the award for the procurement of five new ambulances, one airport rescue and firefighting vehicle, and two new water tenders were made in the first half of 2019 and delivery is scheduled before the end of the year.

“The recent establishment of a maritime firefighting section of the GFS, which will address emergencies on Guyana’s waterways as well as support onshore firefighting operations, is expected to be fully operational by August 2019. Some 60 trainees are expected to join their ranks in September,” the reports stated.