– Minister Rohee urges Lodge residents, CPG
Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee Tuesday evening called on the residents of Lodge, Georgetown, to foster greater collaboration with the police and the Lodge No.2 Community Police Group (CPG) to deal with localised issues afflicting the community.
The meeting came subsequent to a request by the CPG and residents for the Minister’s intervention in a number of issues that they raised.
These include solicitation of funds under false pretence, noise nuisance, lack of adequate police patrol, particularly at nights, traffic congestion and reckless driving, especially along Norton Street, street gangs, truancy and the use of illicit drugs.
Minister Rohee, in his response, pointed out that Government has designed programmes and put systems in place to deal with every issue that might, from time to time, arise at the community level. However, he observed that community members have a duty under the Constitution, in the same way that they have rights, to work hand-in-hand with law enforcement to tackle these issues.
With respect to truancy and street gangs, which basically consist of out-of-school youths, Minister Rohee said that the Ministry of Home Affairs, under the Citizen Security Programme as well as the Ministries of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, and the Guyana Police Force has programmes designed to engage young persons in activities aimed at keeping  them from criminal activities.
With regard to the noise nuisance, the Minister reminded that his Ministry went as far as posting advertisements in the media informing the public of the provisions made under the laws of Guyana. He added that the public, on the other hand, needs to provide accurate information on the specifics as it relates to the noise maker, so that the police can adequately deal with the issue.
Similarly, advertisements have been posted clearly explaining that anyone found soliciting funds without proper authorisation is liable for prosecution. This scam is particularly prevalent during the preparation for the Lodge Village Day activities.
The Minister also asserted that discipline and order have to be implemented in the planning of such activities.
In relation to reckless driving and speeding in Norton Street, the Ministry will be devising measures such as the construction of sleeping policemen on the street.
He disclosed that the Ministry is in the process of identifying roads that can be made into ‘one way’.
The meeting, described by residents as very productive, also saw a renewed commitment by the police in that area as well as members of the CPGs.
Government has over the years spent huge sums of money on equipping CPGs, and establishing Neighbourhood Policing Groups to augment the deficiencies within police stations. (GINA)