-cleanliness initiative takes centre stage for Guyana Police Force anniversary activities

THE Guyana Police Force marked its 184th anniversary with a clean-up exercise led by Acting Top Cop Clifton Hicken, as part of the strategic plan to strengthen police-community ties. It hosted a fun day for over 800 children at the Police Sports Club Ground to promote closer relations between the GPF and the public.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, the Commissioner said that the clean-up initiative is a “national drive” that is led by His Excellency President Irfaan Ali.

According to Commissioner Hicken, “The clean-up exercise is part of the President’s initiative to ensure that we live and dwell in a clean and tidy environment. It is a national drive, and it is only fitting that we, the members of the Guyana Police Force, provide our service. There is no definition for service, and so we have started the exercise with the commencement of President Ali initiative, and we want to sustain that. We did it as an individual organisation today because it is slated as part of our calendar of activities for our 184th anniversary month that we are celebrating.”

The Top Cop further explained that he is pleased to say that the clean-up exercise by the public has been phenomenal, and he would like to urge all Guyanese to play their role in ensuring that their surroundings are kept tidy.

“I would like to say to the public that cleanliness is next to Godliness, and therefore we as members of the GPF are committed to cleaning the seawalls so that we can work in a conducive environment, and likewise you can do the same. It is nice to enjoy and have fun, but more importantly, these exercises transcend where we live and our immediate communities. We are taking the lead on this, and I would hope that everyone understands the importance of cleanliness,” he noted.

Commissioner Hicken also related that he is very optimistic that the public will recognise that through such initiatives, the President, his government, and the GPF are working to enhance not only the environment and the country, but the people as well.

“I am hopeful that the people can be motivated and come out in their large numbers or individually and clean up their villages, and their communities; let us lead by example,” he underscored.
Apart from the clean-up exercise, which was held on Saturday, the commissioner and the ranks of the GPF also organised and hosted a fun-day for over 800 children as part of their calendar of events for the anniversary month as well as in honour of the Commissioner’s birth anniversary.

Mr. Hicken said, “To mark the 184th anniversary of GPF and in celebration of my birthday, we have held a fun day with an excess of over 800 children.”

Finally, the Commissioner said, the goal of the fun day is to sensitise, mould, and build a relationship between the young minds and the GPF.

According to him, due to the collapse of the community projects under the previous administrators, he ensured that, as Commissioner of Police (ag) and at the helm of the GPF, he puts the framework in place so that it could become policy.

Now, Commissioner Hicken said that the Youth groups and Scout groups are part of the recent policing strategy in all the regions across Guyana.

“Today, I am happy to give the youths a chance to come, have everything free, enjoy a good outing, but more importantly, get the opportunity to interact with the members of the GPF, learn each other’s culture, and understand at an early stage that we can all occupy one space without any conflict. If these attributes are inculcated as they grow, they will understand that we are human beings at the end of the day, and there would be no separation among us.”

Today, (July 23) there will be a commencement of the police athletic championship at the aquatic centre, followed by a night of boxing, and another activity at the Eve Leary ground later this week.