–Minister Walrond to lead local security push

HOME Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond will work directly with residents of Tiger Bay to implement a community policing initiative, as part of the government’s broader push to strengthen public safety and rebuild trust between citizens and law enforcement.
The announcement was made on Friday by President Dr. Irfaan Ali during the handing-over ceremony of the new Futsal Ground to the community.
“She’ll be working with you to ensure that we get people from within the community itself to be part of a community policing group so that we can mentor, we can support and we can redefine what Tiger Bay is and what Tiger Bay represents,” President Ali said.
The Head of State recently identified security, justice and public trust as shared national goals that cannot be achieved by the police acting alone. He stressed that a secure and harmonious society depends on strong co-operation between the police and the communities they serve.
According to the President, every crime prevented, every road made safer and every life protected is the result of collective effort.
“By working together, we can strengthen these bonds, ensuring that every citizen is pleased, protected and values your efforts, while combined with support from the wider community and government, it creates a framework for a safer, more just and more prosperous country,” he said.
“Each crime prevented, each road made safer, each life protected, is a result of teamwork within the Force, with community members and across the nation. It is a shared purpose that reinforces the trust between the police and the public, and it’s this trust that remains the foundation of a secure and harmonious society.”
The initiative comes at a time when the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is reporting some of its strongest results in over a decade. In 2025, the Force recorded a 61.7 per cent crime clearance rate and a reduction in serious crimes by 25.2 per cent.
Minister Walrond has also outlined a transformative approach to national security, emphasising the need for a modern, technologically advanced police force capable of supporting Guyana’s rapidly expanding economy.
She has articulated the government’s vision of creating “a modern police force that acts with professionalism, embraces innovation and supports the business environment through timely, reliable law enforcement services.”
The modernisation programme represents a shift from traditional investigative methods to an intelligence-driven model powered by advanced technology, including real-time data systems and digital surveillance tools.
As Guyana continues its upward economic trajectory, the community policing initiative in Tiger Bay forms part of a broader reimagining of national security, aimed at deepening public trust, improving service delivery and positioning the country for sustainable, secure growth.
It was previously reported that the national security apparatus has recorded some of its most significant crime-fighting gains in the past ten years.