President Dr. Irfaan Ali has warned the Guyana Police Force (GPF) that there will be “no excuses” for officers not to wear body cameras during their duties, as 5,000 body cameras were handed over to boost transparency and law enforcement reform.

Speaking at the handover ceremony at State House on Tuesday, President Ali said that, “there is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for our men and women in the field not being equipped with these cameras when conducting their duties and responsibilities.”

The Head of State made it clear that the era of unmonitored police interactions is over.

“A big part of improving service delivery is monitoring and evaluation, transparency and accountability… giving our police officers the tools to make their job easier, the tool that would allow them also to hold people accountable for their action” the Head of State said.

The cameras were received by Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken in the presence of Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn, senior ranks of the Force and officers of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), which provided technical support in the procurement and implementation.

He added that the rollout is part of a larger effort to integrate technology across law enforcement. “Today, we are implementing a series of cameras that help us not only measure speed but identify traffic violations… all roadways within the coming year will be equipped with those cameras and a full backup system that limits human interference.”

Meanwhile, Nurse of the GDF explained that the rugged cameras are dust- and waterproof, can stream live over Wi-Fi and 4G networks, and offer up to 256GB of storage.

They are also designed to be worn on uniforms or mounted in police vehicles and will be linked to the national surveillance network.

Minister Benn described the move as a critical tool in closing the gap between public expectations and police performance.

“We are aware that even where there may be deficiencies or human failures, the question of technology brings certitude in delivering service…It helps build the trust and confidence that our citizens expect in respect of the work that we do in improving the lives and protection of the people of this country,” the Minister said.

Commissioner Hicken assured citizens that the equipment will be deployed effectively across the Force, with accompanying training and internal systems to ensure usage is consistent and accountable.

President Ali also issued a stern but hopeful reminder, “We will continue to work with the Guyana Police Force in building capacity and capability…Training our men and women in uniform in a service-oriented way, in a way in which the experience between the citizenry and the Guyana Police Force can be developed into one of trust and confidence.

“We have to work in a holistic way, in which the entire ecosystem is managed, upgraded, reformed, to the benefit of the people of our country.”

The deployment of 5,000 body cameras is part of a suite of security reforms and digital modernization efforts being undertaken by the Government of Guyana.

Additional measures include roadside surveillance, mobile command units, and expanded training programs to align police practices with international standards of transparency and professionalism.