–Min. Benn says

IN a bid to help Law Enforcement officers maintain their integrity, the government has taken the initiative to develop a revolutionary device called the ‘Secure-I’ app.
The application at reference, according to Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn, will allow citizens to document and report incidents involving law enforcement officers, thereby promoting professionalism.

Minister Benn made the announcement during his ministry’s annual year-end press conference on Wednesday.

As the minister was at pains to explain, public perception and media portrayal of law enforcement are key to the maintenance of Law and Order, hence the decision to introduce the app, which, besides empowering citizens to report unsavoury occurrences will also help foster a positive and efficient interaction between the public and the police.

“The professionalism we desire in our services relates not only to their training, management, and conduct, but also as to how they are perceived by the public and the media. Each person can take their cellphone and capture the behaviour of a policeman or a prison officer when they are terrorising people or behaving professionally in their engagements, which is what we want,” Minister Benn stated.

‘Secure-I’ is intended to provide every individual with a user-friendly app, developed in collaboration with the police, to report instances and incidents swiftly. The app will not only serve as a reporting tool, but also complement the Services, and enable citizens to provide feedback on specific police stations and ongoing incidents.

“We want to be more approved in a positive way. We want to reduce the time and cost of services to the public; we want energetic actions, and good supervision,” Minister Benn asserted, underscoring the government’s commitment to enhancing public services and fostering a positive environment.

In recent times, there have been several occurrences where civilians have engaged in either physical aggression or verbal mistreatment towards police officers. The incorporation of video footage will offer improved documentation of the events’ characteristics, and validate the narratives presented by both law enforcement personnel and members of the public.

In the past, Minister Benn had encouraged the public to document their interactions with law enforcement, either through video or audio recordings, in order to enhance accountability, transparency, and public confidence.

“When there is any interaction with the Police Force, good or bad, that person should take out their cellphones and make a video and audio recording of the interaction,” he reaffirmed.
Additionally, he clarified that by adopting these straightforward measures, the nation can effectively curb undesirable behaviour, and draw the attention of the police community.

The minister’s statement follows closely behind Guyana experiencing a commendable 17 per cent decline in overall serious crimes in the year 2023.

Minister Benn expressed hope for further improvement, stating, “I am hopeful that the decrease will be further decreased to 20 per cent in 2024.”

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government has been embracing technology to strengthen the bond between Law Enforcement and the public.

The reduction of crimes is in keeping with the PPP/C in their 2020 Elections Manifesto, which had promised the electorate to reduce crime and promote safer communities through provision of more equipment, facilities, training for law-enforcement personnel and improving investigative and forensic capabilities, among other mechanisms.

The security sector is slated to receive a landmark $90.6 billion allocation in the 2024 National Budget, while a significant portion of the budget, $30.3 billion, has been set aside for the Guyana Police Force. The budget emphasises the use of technology in the security sector, which can help improve efficiency, communication, and response times.