IN its 2020 campaign manifesto unveiled on Friday, the coalition government outlined a programme to ensure public security over not just the next five years, but the next decade.
Under the category of ensuring human safety, the manifesto underscored the continued upgrade of police stations with modern conveniences and technology.

The manifesto stated that the coalition government will provide modern vehicles and equipment to members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and ensure that all police vehicles will have on-board computers and communications equipment linked to a command centre and that every police officer will be issued with modern body-armour, tazers, body radios and body cameras.

According to the 2020 campaign booklet, the coalition will upgrade the Emergency Response System with the aid of relevant technology along with expanding the current Safe City Project to capital towns.

Additionally, the coalition government manifesto stated that there will be “continued support and strengthening of Community Policing Groups to enhance trust within local communities; continued strengthening of intelligence and counter-intelligence forces in the Defence and Police Forces; continued professionalisation of the GPF and ensuring that complaints against officers are properly investigated and the necessary action taken; and completion of the modern prison at Mazaruni, Region Seven.”
The 2020 manifesto stated that a coalition government will develop a new National Police Academy with regional branches to make policing more attractive to youth and to create a better educated Police Force.

The coalition manifesto further stated that government will “introduce affirmative action in the Police Force to include more Indigenous and Indo-Guyanese; provide modern hygienic detention centres for women and children; and expand the Guyana Peoples’ Militia to provide a ready national reserve and to provide job-training to youth. [And} continue to protect citizens from threats of violence from the State, having ended state-sponsored violence during our first administration.”

In his manifesto message, President David Granger said the blueprint details the Coalition’s programme aimed at good governance, reducing inequality, maximising employment, attracting greater investment, diversifying the economy and reducing crime, disease, ignorance and poverty.