– big on agenda of Reg. 1 commander

SUPERINTENDENT Jairam Ramlakhan will focus on capacity-building and implementation of best practices in dealing with COVID-19 as he gets down to business as commander of Region One (Barima-Waini).
Commander Ramlakhan said police stations in Region One will also have new or dormant station management committees activated to ensure that the interest of the ranks and stations are acted upon.

In policing the large terrain, the commander personally visited the stations under his jurisdiction. These include the Mabaruma Police Station, Acquera Police Station, Arakaka Police Station, Baramita Police Station, Imbotero Police Station, Matthew’s Ridge Police Station, Port Kaituma Police Station, Yarakita Police Station, Tamakay Floating Base, Whitewater Police Outpost and Santa Cruz Police Station.
The commander said after visiting all the stations in person, decisions were taken after consultation with stakeholders to improve policing in various communities, along with the transferal of ranks.

The superintendent noted that he spoke with toshaos, business persons, residents, community leaders and regional official and got a great understanding of the needs of the various communities.

He explained that as the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps across the globe, the police forces have been thrust into new roles as they engage and enforce new policies and laws governing societal behaviours.

He explained that responding to the impact of the pandemic has changed the nature of criminal activity.
“Since many people have had to stay at home, some aspects of criminal activity have proliferated indoors. Domestic violence and child abuse have been areas in which increases have been noted. With less social interaction outside the closest family, these kinds of crime become more difficult to identify and intervene in,” the commander noted.

As huge numbers of people move to digital platforms for work and social interaction, the superintendent said interacting and communicating with communities take on a new form in maintaining law and order, especially in the hinterland regions.
However, he noted this requires policing to be sensitive to the local context, with greater situational awareness by police officers on the ground and more effective communication campaigns and dialogue with the public and businesses.

He said that during his command all avenues will be explored to ensure the safety, security and partnership with communities in Region One are done in accordance with best practices.

Further, the commander explained that he will also be implementing capacity-building measures that include established priorities; analysing police tasks and identifying standards; identifying gaps in the performance of the police; selecting design and delivery systems and evaluation of all systems.
The commander said he is receiving the support of the regional administration in the execution of his duties.