THE Region Three Private Sector Inc. (R3PSInc) has commended President Dr. Irfaan Ali, and, by extension, the government, for the timely decision to enhance the capacity of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) through the procurement of equipment and investment in human resource development.

Head of the private sector organisation, Halim Khan, said the recent addition of 50 vehicles to the GPF is commendable, since the issues of crime and security are always paramount to all citizens, especially considering that there have been reported cases of the police using lack of transportation as an excuse for not fulfilling their duties.

“President Irfaan Ali has a vision for the security sector and to effectively achieve this strategic plan, changes need to be made to ensure a higher level of respect and trust in the force and its ranks… this will also be complemented by assets and resources,” Khan said.

He added that, by understanding the weaknesses and strengths, the force has the advantage of being in a position to create policies and systems that could address and rectify gaps, and promote a more efficient and effective Police Force.

“President Ali has also said that he is willing to ensure that the force gets the necessary support from the government to achieve its goals of serving and protecting the people of Guyana,” Khan said.

He recalled that, in order to enhance public safety and security countrywide, the government allocated $22 billion in Budget 2021; included in this sum was $15.3 billion for the GPF. Khan said that such an investment is timely since Guyana is on the cusp of economic growth.

“But its development potential is hindered by many factors, including high levels of crime and violence which are also costly to the private sector,” he said, adding: “As such, we welcome all aspects of development the government plans for the security sector.”

In Region Three, Khan said that new vehicles will be assigned to Leguan and Wakenaam for the first time in history.
President Ali, last Monday, handed over 50 new vehicles to the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and urged the police to use the resources to crackdown on crime and ensure persons could walk the streets safely.

He advised the police to do an assessment of its capacity to manage these assets and to find a way that is more reliable, efficient and less costly to deliver the required results.

“The vehicles provided to the force must not be used for joyrides, no. The assets being provided to the force are to boost its capability, its responsiveness and people will judge us by the way in which we care for and use these assets,” the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces said.