–in infrastructure, human capital, technology and other areas, President Ali says

PUBLIC trust and confidence in the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has reached new heights, as the government continues to invest in the modernisation of the organisation, to better serve citizens.
President, Dr. Irfaan Ali in a recent airing of ‘In the Seat,’ highlighted this finding and focused on how the GPF has transformed in recent years.

Dr. Ali said: “If you enter some police stations, you were afraid even to approach the station because of the condition of the building, and of the stench that comes out of the building…What you have seen over the last number of years, at least since 2020, is that more and more citizens are making reports…”
The GPF had previously faced numerous challenges and overall, the security sector was on shaky foundation in 2015-2020. However, the current People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government has taken a hands-on approach to enhancing the security sector.
Pointing to a key component of this initiative, President Ali highlighted how the GPF’s welfare infrastructure has improved.

He said: “If you look at all the different facilities, the new stations, you will see that it is more customer oriented, it is more service oriented. So that was an important part.”
Notably, the recent modernisation efforts have seen the establishment of a Community Relations Department to strengthen police-community relations, promote safe communities, and enhance preventative policing strategies through positive engagements and public trust.
This year, $30.3 billion was allocated to the GPF. Of this sum, $1 billion was set aside to acquire additional vehicles, motorcycles, boats, and engines to boost response capabilities of the GPF, and $5 billion for the rehabilitation of police stations. Additionally, 300 body cameras were provided for in the budget.

This investment has led to the advancement of works in various key areas, including command centres, criminal investigation departments, and living quarters for police personnel in several regions. Also, construction of a state-of-the-art twelve-storey Brickdam Police Station, with a budget of $5.4 billion, is currently underway.

IMPROVING HUMAN CAPITAL
The investments to transform the GPF do not stop at infrastructure as the President said that there are efforts to change the stigma attached to the organisation.
Ranks have more educational opportunities in various institutes, Dr Ali underscored.
He said: “We have most of the policemen and women studying something in the GOAL scholarship programme, they’re at UG. So, all of this improves their confidence, and their outlook on life. So, from that angle, there has been tremendous improvement.”

CRIME DETECTION
President Ali boasted that the crime detection rate has gotten better.
“If you look at the crime detection rate in the region, it is the best. And if you look at a crime-solving ratio, it’s not only the crime, you have to look at what percentage of the crime you are solving. You will see that there is a tremendous improvement in the crime-solving ratio,” he said.
However, the Head of State did note that there is weakness in the prosecution area.
“You know, there was a lot of talk about the inefficiency and the lack of training. We have invested heavily,” he said while adding that there is now a programme with Nations University and there are other investments being made in the training of prosecutors.
On another note, the President pointed out: “Most times, when someone gets off from something that seems glaring to the public, they blame the police. They see the police as the centre of it, but they don’t understand that it goes to the judiciary.
He added: “And if the judiciary makes a ruling, you know, so you have to ensure everything, all aspects work in an integrated way and that the efficiency and development of all arms of government occur simultaneously.”
It is within this light that the Head of State said that technology is being added to enhance public confidence along with transparency and accountability.
Notably, last month, the GPF reported unprecedented progress in crime reduction for 2024, recording the lowest serious crime, murder, robbery, and break-and-enter rates in a decade.

CHALLENGES AHEAD
However, with technology being used to commit crimes, the President said that the way Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital crimes and the more sophisticated criminals will use technology needs to be analysed.
The President said: “So, we are now investing in that, investing in the infrastructure that will support good policing.”
The President used the forensic lab as an example, noting that the government is investing in a lab that will be the best in the region.

He said: “We have brought in the former head of the Criminal Bureau of Investigation of India, who was in charge of the forensic lab there to come in with a team. And they are working to make our forensic lab first class. So, this is an important part of crime fighting and so on.”
Further, he highlighted the step up from a safe city to being safe country.

In that regard, he pointed out the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras which are detecting the various criminal activities.
CCTVs are designed to increase formal surveillance by making it easier for security agencies to monitor potential criminal activities and deter crime by increasing the risk of detection.
Dr Ali said: “So, five years ago, half of the population didn’t know this happened because there was no video or anything like that to show. Today, everybody is aware because there is a video to show everything. So these are also helping.”