…says Deputy Top Cop

THE Guyana Police Force, on Saturday, took its latest outreach to the Caledonia/Good Success Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) in Second Street, Craig, East Bank Demerara, where Deputy Commissioner of Police – Operations (ag), Clifton Hicken, committed to working with residents and to alleviate their concerns.

During the 90-minute interaction, residents asked whether qualified persons within the council, and in the community, could be facilitated to serve as rural constables. In response, the deputy top cop instructed that with immediate effect, an officer would be identified to interview persons who were “interested in being full-time rural constables and members of the Community Policing Groups (CPGs), bearing in mind that background checks have to be done to be sure that nothing untoward exists.”

Hicken told the residents: “I am in agreement that if you are living in a community, you must be able to police your community. It’s simple as that. And as long as I’m around, the police will continue to build bridges, and not put up walls and barriers.”

Another request that was granted was for police presence at NDC meetings – something that one councillor claimed happened on only two occasions. As such, the Deputy Commissioner told the councillor that he should demand, and not ask, whether the police could be present at those meetings.

“Let me first put the structure in its perspective. There’s a Regional Intelligence Committee meeting that is chaired monthly, in conjunction with the Regional Chairman, the councillors, the mayor, and the rest of it. Deriving from that is a subset, so we can very well attend your meeting to have information on a particular community…or communities.”

Divisional Commander, Linden Isles, who was also present at the meeting, was tasked with getting a schedule of the meetings, and advised that “no less than an officer should attend.”

Meanwhile, another resident noted that while there are frequent patrols traversing the East Bank corridor, they do not enter the various villages, especially Land of Canaan.

“We touched on Land of Canaan, and I have my concerns and interests in Land of Canaan too, for many reasons. But I just want to say from the outset…the Guyana Police Force, like any other organisations, cannot have or be allocated all the resources that we need. However, this type of community nature, this type of partnership approach, will offset this type of shortage that you’re talking about,” Hicken said.

He continued: “So, we will try to have patrols in Land of Canaan, like every other community, based on a priority arrangement. In the interim, we’re going to fuse the police and the CPGs from Land of Canaan and these communities, so that we don’t need a police patrol per se. All we’ll need is a police rank to authenticate the CPG patrol, and by extension, it’s going to be more effective, because only you know your neighbourhood.”

It was highlighted by a member of the audience that the majority of robberies were being perpetrated by youths on motorcycles and bicycles, to which the Deputy Commissioner pointed that a successful campaign targeting those modes of transportation and ownership, etc., would be intensified in all the hotspots in the various divisions.

He also made a plea to the community’s elders to join with the police in harnessing the talents of the susceptible youths, and provide them with the requisite moral compass, irrespective of whether there was any familial relationship.

“And as we’re on youths, Commander, please cause the police to identify vulnerable youths and start back the vocational skills training, so that they could find something constructive to do. Idle brains, idle hands commit acts of crime…we can prevent that. It doesn’t have to be your son or your daughter; if you observe that unethical behaviour is prevailing, step in…bring some degree of morals. It’s not what you say, but how you say it!” Hicken emphasised.

He added: “If a child is going to be abusive and you are going to be abusive, you’re adding fuel to the fire. You must step back and understand that that could’ve been your son or your daughter. Do unto others as you’d like others do unto you, and in doing so, we can start a new journey.”

The Deputy Commissioner also insisted that the divisional officers and ranks familiarise themselves with the communities and its residents. He said that without fail, there would be walkabouts from now on.