— President Ali stresses reorientation of officers to better position the Guyana Police Force
–Defence Diplomacy Unit on the cards
OWING to the role the Guyana Police Force (GPF) plays both on the regional and global level, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, on Thursday, revealed that in the coming days, a Defence Diplomacy Unit will be launched.
Dr. Ali made this announcement during his address at the opening of the Annual Police Officers’ Conference at the Police Officers’ Mess, Eve Leary.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces expressed satisfaction with the “outstanding work” that the Police Force has done within the past year, especially, in conquering social issues such as painting roadways, delivering hampers and building houses.
“…Talking to every section of the Guyanese people is most admirable,” Dr. Ali said, while commending the officers for their efforts.
He added that the complexity of policing is above and beyond, so the true essence of the job is not about walking around with guns or displaying a displeasing face, but instead showing one that represents trust and passion but yet upholds the sternness and the respect that the law requires.
“You are not just officers representing the GPF, you are officers leading other ranks to deliver an environment that is secure, comfortable and one that offers a higher standard of living,” President Ali told the audience.
Policing, in his view, should not only be based on and fueled by intelligence, but it must also encompass traits such as professionalism, openness, integrity, leadership and also, be community oriented.
He then touched on one of the major areas of improvement in the national system, which is how men and women are utilised after the nation invested in their education and training for a number of years, but then releases them at the “ripe age of 55.”
According to the President, at 55 is when the members of the disciplined forces depart but it is also “when they are at their prime.”
Owing to this, President Ali asserted that the nation stands to lose by allowing these qualified persons to leave.
He further told those persons that when they depart the disciplined forces: “Your time does not come to an end.”
“A new Guyana will be looking at every officer,” President Ali told the ranks, noting that the new platform will be driven and fueled by their performance and delivery.
He then went on to say that much focus will be placed on strategic positioning, and this will be dealing with a lot of analytical capacity in advising policy makers on strategic partnerships.
In addition to this, the President said that those ideas, concepts and theories require the reengineering of the power of thought, especially in this new era.
Dr. Ali then remarked that Guyana must be able to create a platform that proves that the country has “thinkers and not reactors.”
He also said that this new vision for the next generation must be nation focused and people-centred through partnerships.
In addition to this, Dr. Ali also said that focus must be placed on dismantling the bad traditions of the GPF and reorienting the Force with a tradition that is in line with what is constitutionally required.
“Policing is not isolated from development and development is not isolated from policing…The security architecture of a country is a bedrock through which development, sustainability, resilience, and progress can be achieved,” the Head of state pointed out.
With over 2,000 officers already trained or in training, President Ali has challenged the GPF to overcome the many challenges in building a stronger and safer future for the country.
To confront those challenges, President Ali emphasised the need for a proactive thinking organisation that can anticipate and address security issues, rather than a reactive and passive one.
He also called for a new standard of performance and professionalism within the force, emphasising the need for a force that is, “driven by performance and fuelled by professionalism.”
