SOCIAL media commentator Rickford Burke has again come under fire from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), this time for the “vacuous” attack on Acting Police Commissioner, Clifton Hicken.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Tuesday night, the GPF said it has taken note of Burke’s “reawakening” and his “relevance-seeking” attacks on the agency and its senior ranks.

Burke, in a social media post, had said that Hicken was being a “political operative” to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) during his community outreaches and was abusing the GPF’s resources.

“As the head of the organisation, it is the protocol to escort the Head of State whenever they make community visits, and this has been the norm for the life of the GPF,” the statement said.

It explained that the 2022-2026 GPF’s Strategic Plan seeks to reduce crime via partnerships with communities at all levels. It has resulted in a robust anti-crime strategy that has significantly reduced serious crimes for 2022 and almost zero criminal activities during the most recent Christmas period, due to strategic policing and partnerships.

The force said that thanks to this plan, there was a 19.5 per cent reduction in serious crimes in Guyana.

“It is no secret that the GPF through its Community Relations Department, has held several successful youth engagements, including sports, career guidance, pageantry and skills training that allow young people to be meaningfully engaged and to eschew crime.

“Indeed, just a mere social media announcement saw hundreds of Guyanese from all walks of life joining the Guyana Police Force’s Mashramani band, thereby making the organisation the largest and most prominent band on the road.,” the statement added.

In disputing some of the accusations against the CoP, the statement said that Burke seeks to paint several unfortunate examples which occurred long before the current CoP ascended to the position.

“Members of the public should not be distracted by the misguided utterances of a wanted fugitive. Policemen and women out there are from civil society, and they have parents and families too,” it said.

According to the statement, the GPF is cognisant of the fact that persons like Burke “will always be agitated whenever positive strides are being made by law-enforcement officials in pursuit of achieving its mandate to enhance the safety and security of respective communities.”

It noted that Commissioner Hicken is calling on all right-thinking Guyanese, civil society organisations and the general public to rebuke everything Burke is saying and not to encourage him to make such utterances.

“We reiterate that Guyana is on a trajectory of development, and the Guyana Police Force will continue to position itself to provide service and protection to the people of Guyana, while moving from the ‘Guyana Police Force’ to the ‘Guyana Police Service.’

In this regard, this is the last time the GPF will respond to such mischief from Burke, unless any matter of a criminal nature needs to be addressed,” the statement said.

The GPF last year issued a wanted bulletin for Burke, in relation to a case of extortion in which two reporters have already been charged.

According to the bulletin, Burke is wanted for “conspiracy to commit a felony to wit, the publication of a defamatory libel in order to extort money.”

Burke was implicated by the two reporters – Gary Eleazar and Alex Wayne – who were released on bail following their court appearance.

He is also wanted for incitement of hostility or ill-will on the grounds of race in violation of the Racial Hostility Act, sedition, use of a computer system to intimidate in violation of the Cyber Crime Act, seditious libel, inciting the provocation of the breach of peace, and inciting public terror.

Burke’s last known addresses according to the bulletin are Brooklyn, New York and Bartica.

Anyone who has information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the police on 225-6949, 225-8196, 226-7476, 225-2317, 225-8196, 227-1149 or the nearest police station.