THE Guyana Police Force has announced its withdrawal of support for the Police Wives’ Association (PWA) because of concerns about the way that body has been operating. The Force will, however, continue a number of initiatives in collaboration with the Association.

The GPF said on Monday that it had done a review to determine whether the PWA was operating within its revised constitution, and found that, with the exception of a police sergeant who is the association’s treasurer, and another who is the wife of a serving officer, the association had in its membership executives who are not wives of serving, retired, or deceased members of the Force.

The revised Constitution of the Police Wives Association stipulates that the Patron, Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Secretary/Treasurer, and five other members must be policewomen or wives of policemen, and they shall form the Executive Committee. Moreover, the members of the Executive Committee must be selected from among the members of the Association, and the Patron chairs meetings of the Executive Committee.

The GPF is of the view that the current composition of the PWA Executive Body does not allow for the interests of the Force to be represented or advanced in regard to its objectives.

Having consulted with the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, the Force has been made to realize that the PWA has not met its legal requirements under the Act, in that it has not submitted audited financial statements since 2007.

Also, after former Police Commissioner Leroy Brummell had demitted office, some issues arose regarding the Patron and Ex-Officio Officer of the PWA, and those issues have caused the Guyana Police Force to review its collaboration with the Police Wives’ Association.

The Force noted that the Association has not contributed towards functioning of the Police Day Care Centre, neither has it done anything tangible in regard to advancing any of the GPF objectives.

The Police Force had reportedly wanted women police officers to vote in the elections of the Association. There has been a recent report that the PWA was locked out of its usual meeting room.

(Asif Hakim)