–but holistic approach needed to address issue of illegal firearms regionally, President Ali says

RECENT statistics produced by the local authorities in Guyana have shown a decline in serious crime, and this is credited to the government’s increased support for the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and community policing efforts.

In an invited comment to reporters on the sidelines of an event on Thursday, President Dr. Irfaan Ali said that the statistics are factual.
Last month, it was reported that the police recorded a 12.6 per cent decline for the first quarter of 2023.

“The statistics, based on all the reports, shows that crime is on the decline in Guyana,” the president said in his response to comments on the crime situation by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and the United States (US) Embassy.
“There has been a tremendous decline,” President Ali maintained.

He said that the travel advisory is nothing new, and Guyanese travelling to the US are also on the alert of the frequent occurrence of serious crimes there.
“One of the problems the US is faced with today is the massive shootings in public places; in schools, in malls… And a lot of people who are travelling to the US; even Guyanese, tell me sometimes that they are worried that they could be in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Dr. Ali said.

He added: “Many Guyanese have children in those schools, and sometimes I worry for them too.”
However, he acknowledged that Guyana and the Caribbean are faced with their own challenges, and a holistic approach is needed to trace the source of the region’s crime problem.
“In Guyana, one crime is too much for us, and we have made it clear to CARICOM that we have to address the guns in the region, and go to the source problem, as to where the guns are coming from,” the Head of State said.

Guyana has been working closely with the US in the area of crime and security, Dr. Ali said. “We are engaging the US and many stakeholders as important strategic partners. The US has been working with us on the issue of security, national security and the issue of drug trafficking.

“We have had massive collaborations; there has never been such an extensive collaboration between the US and Guyana in terms of our security sector.”
He continued: “We are working in a very holistic way; we are building out the infrastructure for the Police Force, and we are giving them more tools and equipment; more vehicles.”
The government, he added, has also been working to boost the manpower of the police, and modernise the way policing is done across the country.