HEAD of the Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) Corporate Communications Unit (CCU), Mark Ramotar, has lauded the invaluable work of the Community Policing Groups (CPGs) across Guyana, in helping to fight crime and making communities safer.

Ramotar praised the GPGs at a seminar that was recently hosted by Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) law enforcement under the theme, ‘Community Oriented Policing’.
The event was held at Barnwell Event Space and Hotel on the East Bank of Essequibo and was attended by more than 100 executive members of CPGs across Region Three. The seminar was organised by the Divisional Commander, Senior Superintendent Errol Watts, and Deputy Commander, Superintendent Boodnarine Persaud.

Ramotar told the CPG representatives that while their primary purpose was to assist the police in crime prevention, they were also saddled with the added responsibility of helping to eradicate the social ills within the communities they serve.

“You have to do this while simultaneously promoting social cohesion in whatever simple or innovative way that you can…there are many ways to involve the residents in CPG-driven activities that foster and build camaraderie, while strengthening the community bonds of unity, in pursuit of a common purpose,” Ramotar told the gathering.

Ramotar posited: “Ideally, we want a crime-free society, not just in our respective communities or region but countrywide. This can only happen with the GPF working closely with the CPG members. The police cannot address the issue of crime by itself, we cannot operate in a vacuum, we need the support, Intel. and info. from members of the community. You must be the eyes and ears of your respective communities.”

Noting that the activities of the CPG is a noble one, Ramotar said, “it’s not an easy thing to leave your homes in the nights to go on the roads and patrol, but you do it anyway, and that’s because you want to make a difference, you want to contribute and play your part in ensuring your communities are safer.”

The CCU Head also urged the CPG members to “be as frank as practicable and civil” in their discussions, noting that as representatives of the various CPG groups in the region, they need to be bold in expressing the challenges that they have, whether as a collective or as individual groups.

“Those challenges can be myriad and the list can be long; shortage of vehicles in the division, lack of resources, lack of support and cooperation from the police, no protection for patrolling ranks, need for arms for CPG groups, possible need for legitimacy or recognition, lack of trust, members operating without precepts, Rural Constable applications being processed slowly…,” he said.

Further, Ramotar said there might also be internal challenges where persons are using the CPGs to satisfy their own personal agenda and gains, rather than seeing it as a community-oriented initiative.

“There might be personality clashes among members or cases where some members are misusing their authority…I can rattle on with a long list of possible challenges and problems but what we need right now is to find common ground and find solutions,” he said.

In this regard, he told the CPG groups that it was seminars like that one that provide the maximum scope for concerns to be voiced.

“It is seminars like these where you have reps. from various groups and partner agencies…make use of these group settings to brainstorm ideas and explore initiatives that can see the CPG working more closely with the police and other supporters in fighting crime in the communities and the region. This needs to be replicated in all the regions across the country,” he underscored.

“This is how we measure our success…I know Region Three has been relatively quiet in terms of crime and a lot of this success has to do with the efforts by Commander Errol Watts and his hard working team, and you (CPG members)….your support at the CPG level is invaluable. The police cannot successfully operate in isolation or in a vacuum by itself…we need the support from the grassroots level, the community level, the feedback from residents.

The CPGs provide an invaluable source of information both at the level of mitigation in crime prevention and at the support level with the Police in terms of enforcement,” the CCU Head asserted.

In attendance were 65 CPG executives, 52 CPG members, two senior officers, three Inspectors, eight Sergeants as well special invitees. Meanwhile, Commander Watts outlined a strategic crime-fighting plan for Region Three, and spoke about efforts being made to foster and strengthen ties between the police and the communities.
He said security cameras would be placed at strategic points on the West Bank and West Coast public roads.

On the issue of traffic management, Watts also noted that “we are doing the best with the resources we have in Region Three in terms of traffic management on a daily basis.
“We have our operation at the Demerara Harbour Bridge, where we have two double lanes going in the morning starting from 5:30, and that is going well… we have been getting some positive feedback on this.”

The Regional Commander further stated that the division is expecting a few new vehicles, and once received, two will be dispatched to the islands of Wakenaam and Leguan. Additionally, Deputy Commander Persaud, who chaired the seminar, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the crime and traffic situation in the region, highlighting a reduction in the various crimes and accidents when figures are compared for the same period between 2020 and 2021.

In 2020, there were six murders, 21 cases of robbery under arms (firearm used), seven cases of robbery with aggravation, five cases of rape, and four burglaries. During the same period this year, however, there were four murders – a decrease of 33.3 per cent; 18 robbery under arms – a 14 per cent decrease; no robbery with aggravation – a 100 per cent decrease; two rapes – a 60 per cent decrease, and two cases of burglary – 50 per cent decrease.

The Deputy Command also outlined that there has been a 69 per cent increase in serious accidents, a 7.69 per cent spike in damage accidents, as well as a 100 per cent decrease in fatal accidents.

According to Persaud, during the reporting period, the division has not recorded any fatal accident for the year compared to the period January 1 to May 31, 2020, when eight cases were recorded.

The region recorded its first road fatality last month when 12-year-old Varshanie Ramroop was struck and killed by a pick-up vehicle on the East Bank Essequibo Public Road.

Regional Vice Chairman for Region Three, Omesh Satyanand, and President of the Region Three Chamber of Commerce, Halim Khan, also delivered brief remarks, in which they lauded the Commander and his team along with the CPGs for their collaboration, which has seen a considerable reduction in crime and accidents.