TO ensure communities are safe and secure in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), President Dr Irfaan Ali announced that investments will be made to establish new fire stations and policing units across the region.

The president was engaging with residents during a hybrid press conference on the lawns of the Albion Sugar Estate on Friday.

The press conference served as a platform to update the nation on the outcome of the two-day outreach in the region led by the president.

In the coming years, the government, through the Ministry of Housing, will accelerate housing developments in the region to ensure every single applicant receives a house lot.

He told reporters who were physically present and those online that, “because of the massive housing development, one of the needs now is to have these small police units, more agile and flexible units in the communities.

Consequently, the government is “going to invest in about 50 of those units across this region. making policing and police more community-centred, people-centred, and community-oriented, and bringing a greater sense of presence in every single community.”

Additionally, four new fire stations will be established in the region to ensure citizens benefit from faster emergency services.

The government aims to aggressively expand the ‘Safe Country’ programme to the region. This development will see the entire region connected to closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras. It will make it easier for security agencies to monitor potential criminal activities and deter crime by increasing the risk of detection.

Community Policing Group desks will be established at every police station across the region, including child, family and GBV (gender-based violence) spaces.

These were among several initiatives announced by the President, specifically tailored for Region Six, as the government continues its commitment to visiting every region across Guyana. [DPI]