GOVERNMENT as of December 2018 invested up to $821M in upgrading police stations and police buildings and this year another $307M is being expended to standardise the infrastructure, according to Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan.

Speaking at the recent launch of the $65M state-of-the art-user friendly police station commissioned at La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD), Ramjattan said, “we have done a tremendous amount of investment in security, and as you know, it is not only training of policemen or furthering their education, but it’s also getting the assets necessary so that when trained, they will utilise these assets for improved services to the community.”

Ramjattan said Government would be providing $260 million for the rehabilitation of the Brickdam Police Station, Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); the Leonora Police Station, Region Three (Essequibo Islands- West Demerara); the Special Branch Unit building in Georgetown; the Cove and John Police Station in Region Four and the reconstruction of the Anna Regina Police Station headquarters, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).
The monies would also cater for the construction of the Fort Wellington Police Station, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); the Mabaruma Police Station Headquarters building, Region One (Barima-Waini); Golden Grove Police Station Divisional Headquarters, Region Four, and the Mahdia Police Station Headquarters in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

He said when he was made minister of public security in 2015; a survey was done of the police stations and it left a lot to be desired.

“The quality, standards, surroundings, the environment and even our CID headquarters had so many derelict vehicles inside; we removed many; with this beautiful environment that you have here, I hope there is no packing of motorbikes and derelict vehicles, that will be an activity that will be against governments ‘green’ policy, and it is important that you understand that your conduct will flow from your comfortable circumstances,” the minister said.

He explained that government is investing $1.8B of central government resources for the refurbishment and construction of police stations countrywide.
“We will continue to mobilise more resources so that police can provide people with the type of service they deserve,” Ramjattan noted.

In the 2019 National Budget, the Government has allocated $35.6 billion towards consolidating and expanding the security sector, an increase of 14.5 percent over 2018.
Of this sum, about $4 billion will be expended on maintaining and improving the prison service, including a sum of $1.5B to improve and develop the prison infrastructure, to ease overcrowding and remove the need to use temporary holding areas like the Lusignan Prison facility.

The allocation resulted in the construction of the new Georgetown Prison, the continued expansion of the Mazaruni Prison Complex, and the commencement of preparatory work for the reconstruction of the New Amsterdam Prison.

Monies will be invested in the procurement of a body scanner, to detect contraband substances and improve safety at the prisons.