NEWLY appointed Commissioner of Police (ag) Clifton Hicken, on Saturday, committed to developing a plot of land in the community of Bare Root on the East Coast of Demerara to facilitate extra-curricular activities for youths in that village.

During a walk-about of the community, Hicken said this will be done in collaboration with members of the community and other stakeholders.

“The Commissioner was given a short tour inside the stigmatized East Coast village by members of the community who spared no time nor words, expressing their concerns for their village folk, particularly the youth and the elderly, of their encounters with the police in the region, and interests to develop their community,” a press release from the Police Force noted.

Commissioner of Police (ag) Clifton Hicken meeting with residents of Bare Root, East Coast Demerara on Saturday

According to the release, the tour offered discussions on the history of the village, its subsistence-living activities, and challenges such as the need for access to the backlands for increased agricultural activities, notwithstanding acknowledgement by residents of the “misguided perception” from outsiders of what goes on within Bare Root.

“Mr. Hicken has a history of adopting challenged communities with the aim of developing their youth. The Guyana Police Force is poised for great transformation, as is the nation, and against that backdrop, the Force and its auxiliaries remain deeply involved in matters related to the challenges of citizens that ultimately contribute to the causes and effects of crime, its detection and, more importantly, how it can be prevented or deterred,” the release noted.

The Commissioner was supported by Deputy Commissioner of Administration (ag) Calvin Brutus; Commander Regional Division 4 ‘C’ Khali Pareshram, and Public Relations Officer Stan Gouveia, along with the Head of CANU, James Singh; Managing Director and owner of Secure Innovations & Concepts Inc. Harold Hopkinson, and a team consisting of ranks from Force Headquarters and Division 4 ‘C’.