-emphasises their role in Guyana’s drive for safer, stronger communities

COMMUNITIES across Linden and the wider Region 10 will see strengthened citizen-security efforts, after Minister of Home Affairs Oneidge Walrond meet with Community Policing Groups (CPGs) on Wednesday.

The meeting saw an interactive session spearheaded by Minister Walrond aimed at reinforcing the government’s push for deeper collaboration between law enforcement and residents.

During the engagement with CPG representatives from all 27 groups in the district, the minister stressed that community policing remains one of the administration’s most effective tools for addressing crime and improving safety at the grassroots level. “Community Policing Groups are one of the most important tools we have to change the trajectory of crime and traffic deaths in our country,” she said. “When you meet with residents, listen to their concerns and bring those issues to us, it helps us take them back and work towards practical solutions for your communities.”

Moreover, Minister Walrond noted that her vision for a more vibrant, coordinated community-policing movement is shared by the leadership of the Guyana Police Force, adding, “When I took up this office a few months ago, the commissioner and I agreed that we must build a more vibrant community-policing movement across the country, and he is fully on board with that vision,” Minister Walrond noted. “We’ve already seen tremendous benefits where these groups are active.”

Throughout the session, the minister highlighted how CPGs are helping to bridge long-standing gaps between law enforcement and the public. By visiting neighbourhoods, holding community meetings, conducting voluntary patrols and sharing information, members create what she described as “the backbone of strong community relations.” She added, “If people don’t feel that they can trust the authorities, we will never be able to solve issues of crime and all the other ills that come with it. People have got to feel that they can come to you and be heard.”

Touching on domestic violence, Minister Walrond highlighted the important role CPGs play in preventing domestic and family-related crimes. “Sometimes it is the neighbour who hears what is happening in the home next door, the woman who is being battered, the children who are crying, who can make the difference,” she further stressed. “A child or woman being exposed to abuse must feel there is a trusted adult in the community they can turn to; you represent that mother figure or father figure, even before the police arrive.”

She further noted that while serious crime has declined nationally, domestic and family-related offences remain an area of concern. “For the most part, serious crime is down in Guyana thanks to the Guyana Police Force and the hard work of our ranks,” Minister Walrond said. “But many of the offences we continue to see are linked to domestic and family relationships. That tells us we must tackle these deeper societal issues together, government, police and communities’ side by side.”

The minister also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening the institutional support for CPGs, including more active involvement from the commissioner’s office in deployment and resourcing. However, she emphasised that community policing must remain rooted in volunteerism.

“We have decided that the Guyana Police Force, through the commissioner’s office, will be more actively involved in the deployment and resourcing of these groups, because you are critical to keeping our citizens safe and secure,” she shared.

Additionally, she underscored that the true strength of community policing rests on service, not payment. “The real strength of community policing comes when these activities grow out of your volunteerism and your desire to see the best for your communities,” Minister Walrond reminded the group. “When you go out on patrol, it should feel like you are doing it for family and friends, not because of how much you can be paid, but because you care about what happens where you live.”

Region 10 currently has 27 Community Policing Groups with a combined membership of 441. These include Block 42, Speightland (DOR), Moblissa (East), Old England, Coomacka Mines/Three Friends, Cinderella City, Moblissa (Chinese Road), Kara Kara, Kwakwani, Ituni, Fruitville, Fudersville (DOR), Hururu Mission, West Watooka, Canvas City, Wisroc, Rockstone, 58 Miles Mabura, Andyville, Success Avenue, Melalli, Block 22, Mabura, Muritaro, Blueberry Hill and Block 56 Kalaru.

Walrond thanked members for their ongoing service, noting that Wednesday’s forum marks the start of a series of nationwide engagements aimed at reorganising, energising, and expanding CPGs. “This is just the first of many such engagements,” she said. “We want active, functional groups, and we want you to know that you have a partner in government as we work together to keep every community in Guyana safe.”