MEMBERS of the Mon Repos Community Policing Group (CPG), on Saturday, distributed over 1000 face masks as part of their public education project.
Additionally, information on the different ways to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus was shared with members of the public.
The CPG members spoke to residents, vendors and shoppers about the proper wearing of face masks and shields, sanitising and washing of hands, and social distancing.
Chairman of the policing group, Troy Edmonson, in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, stated that the CPG members had noticed that many persons at the Mon Repos Market were flouting the COVID-19 preventative measures.

Subsequent to this observation, CPG members began brainstorming innovative ways to get those persons to adhere to the protocols that are in place. He said that the group decided on a public education campaign as they realised that many persons were unaware of the systems in place and how to correctly follow them.
Edmonson said that the Mon Repos policing group approached the Ministry of Health to get assistance, permission and resources, and were able to get the support of the Adviser to the Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy.

“Generally what is occurring is that we would have observed in our region, and I’m sure that this is not a unique issue to the Mon Repos area. We observed that [in] many markets, the dwellers even the market vendors especially do not adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines. We would have brought this concern to the Ministry of Health, first to the adviser to the minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy. The ministry was on board with the suggestions we had and we moved forward from there,” he explained.

Further, he explained that he saw that the policing group had a specific advantage over any other body that would come to educate the members of the community. Edmonson said that the members of the policing group are all members of the community and have a close relationship with residents.
“Because of the community policing group, they have a far better relationship to the community people obviously because they are from the community as compared to the police, who a lot of the times have to be moving around and transferred to all areas whether its bi-monthly or quarterly or whatever but you would find the community policing group would have a far deeper and more personal reach to the community,” said the Chairman.

Meanwhile, Edmonson said he is encouraging other policing groups around the country to initiate similar projects to aid in the fight against the deadly virus. He expressed belief that other policing groups can play a pivotal role in public education, thereby reducing the spread of COVID-19.
“I am just hoping that this particular idea can be replicated countrywide because the community policing of Guyana has approximately over 1900 active members countrywide. I think if everybody takes up the mantle and tries to encourage their own village to do the right thing, wash their hands and put on a mask, you’d be surprised how it would take those numbers down tremendously. You could even get NGOs, the NDCs, the RDCs, and other stakeholders involved. You would bring those numbers down tremendously,” explained Edmonson.