Police launch Christmas security plan

– increase foot, vehicle patrols for city

With the Christmas season almost here, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Monday laid out what it said was its security plan for the period between November 15 and January 15, 2017.
The security plan entails strategies to be taken by the Force that will counter any plans by criminal elements to take away the joy and peace of the Christmas season.

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Security offices at the launch of the Christmas security plan

Not only will officers in A Division (Georgetown-East Bank Demerara) be doing their best to prevent the possible rise in crime during this period, but steps will also be taken by the Traffic Department to monitor traffic flow, which is bound to build up during this time.
A Division Commander Clifton Hicken said there would be an increase in foot and vehicle patrols around the city, particularly at hot spots such as banks, hotels, night spots and other business places. The Division will also continue what has been described as social crime prevention, which has seen many recent successes, and will coordinate with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to target other hotspots.

Patrols
“What is important to note is that foot patrols will be working between 07:00h and 13:00h and 12:00h to 19:00h each day so we will have an influx of Police. Motorcycles and vehicle patrols will be on a 24-hour basis from the 22nd to the 25th of (December), and days that follow,” he said, adding that during the period, section commanders will have the responsibility of ensuring that their ranks are posted on time, given directions to ensure no misconduct and have their meals so that they could focus on duty.
“Markets will be targeted, suspected drug houses will be targeted,” he told the media at the launch.
Hicken said it was very necessary for A Division to coordinate with D Division (West Demerara-East Bank Essequibo) since the Harbour Bridge, and particularly the Demerara River, separates the two. Also C Division (east Coast Demerara) requires partnership, as the Force places special focus on Dennis Street, Sophia. He said much could be accomplished by the partnership approach and networking during this period.

Partnerships
A Division has also been partnering with the City Constabulary, Hicken reported, to ensure that incidents of crime are minimised in the markets as well. Constables have also been helpful in apprehending persons who have been soliciting passengers.
In addition, the Commander said the City would again be divided into various sectors, with senior officers heading each division.
Speaking on the inroads made by the Division in addressing the crime situation, Hicken spoke of many partnerships with community and faith-based organisations to meet particularly the youth in selected areas.
“We have been engaging the youths; it has been decentralised to all divisions. We’ve been growing in terms of capacity. We started out with Impact Albouystown, and now we have 15 youth groups. But not just the youth groups, we have brought back trust because the parents of those groups give us in excess of 1000 children and have trusted the Police to send their children out, and this is very important since dealing with the children has given the Police Force a much greater and effective avenue to get its information out,” the Commander said.
He said the open door policy which the Force has was also sending a clear message to the public that it was part of civil society and they must work together.