— President Ali

PRESIDENT, Dr Irfaan Ali, said that both sides of the equation must be looked at when dealing with corruption, while emphasising that condign action and oversight are needed to address this scourge in society.
Speaking at a press conference at State House on Wednesday, Dr Ali said the time has come for a new oversight mechanism to address the problem, and noted that technology will be used more in police work. He said that the Smart City Programme will be fully activated and will be on stream shortly.
The Smart City Project is among initiatives which have been identified to reduce crime. The project is part of the Citizen Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP).
He explained that Government can give any agency as much money and resources as possible but that alone will never bring results; only management, oversight, accountability and a personal commitment can bring desired results.

“You know when we talk about the police being corrupt and police officers taking bribe, what about the man who is giving the bribe, that person is not corrupt? We forget them from the equation, so how do we ensure the laws hold those persons accountable too who are corrupting people,” the President stressed.
Last month, the Head of State, at the Guyana Police Force’s Annual Conference at the National Cultural Centre, underscored the importance of good police- community relations and the need for a better image of the Police Force.
President Ali also said that the Force’s approach must be re-engineered to lead to greater efficiency and the upholding of high standards and professionalism.

He had said that he will “support the best for the Force” adding that “I will work every day to get the best outcome, but there are some boundaries that inherently all of us must swear to uphold and protect. There is no compromise on those principles and boundaries”.
In addition, he told the lawmen that moving forward, they need to embrace change. “We have to be in a state of readiness; a readiness to embrace change, to embrace new ways, to embrace goals, vision, strategic thinking that add to the betterment of the Force and greater service to the people.”
The Police Force, he said can look forward to recognition, reward and respect from the Government.