CHIEF Constable at the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) in Georgetown, Andrew Foo, yesterday outlined the many challenges facing the department, most of which he noted can be addressed by the City Council. The disclosures were made yesterday at a press conference held in the office of the Chief Constable at City Hall.
At present, the department is celebrating its 178th Anniversary, with a number of events planned for the week. In that light, the option of having Foo deliberate on the performance and challenges facing the department over the years, was explored.
According to the head of department, the constabulary which coincidently comprises 178 sworn officers, and 65 auxiliary security guards, has not been able to fully make the impact which was intended, due to challenges and constraints, including the lack of human and other resources.
He noted that challenges have been met during their recruitment efforts, since that arm of law enforcement is competing with both the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force – both of which are fortunate enough to offer better conditions in terms of uniform and facilities to their recruits.
But the City Constabulary, he explained, over the years has not been able to make provision for those necessities.
Regarding the security of mandated perimeters, Foo lamented that this too had been a challenge for the officers who are in dire need of equipment and better facilities. But these, he said, could not have been addressed previously due to the financial state of the council.
“There’s also a need for the procurement of other items which are essential to policing. At the current moment, we’re confined to one vehicle for a 15 sq mile radius; one vehicle is not practical. So there’s a need for the Constabulary to have the resources to ensure that vehicular patrols are conducted,” the Chief Constable told reporters yesterday.
Reiterating the need for uniforms to be provided for officers of the department, he noted that these decisions are entirely up to the council. Foo explained that a lack of uniform forces the officers to execute their duties in “plain clothes” which puts them at a disadvantage.
According to him, the presence of an officer around the city in his or her uniform serves as a deterrent to persons attempting to commit an offence. As such, when they are forced to wear causal clothing, it is more likely that persons will feel free to act contrary to the law.
Additionally, he explained that what has been felt over the years is that the Constabulary Department is not a priority. “I think some amount of priority should be given to the Constabulary department” he said, noting that when there is flooding, the Engineer’s Department is focused on heavily and allotted some amount of funds to counter the challenges they face.
However, the same courtesies are not extended to the Constabulary Department, Foo related.
As such, he opined that, “I’m hoping that the council moves in a direction where our needs are recognized and addressed so that as we execute our duties as mandated by law, we will be given the respect that we deserve.”

By Ravin Singh