Annual Police Officers’ Conference: President Ali orders digital overhaul of Police Force, HR, Police communication restructuring

…says missing case files are “no longer tolerable’”

President Dr Irfaan Ali on Wednesday declared that missing and misplaced Police case files are no longer tolerable in modern Guyana, announcing a sweeping overhaul of Police operations, justice administration, and internal communication systems.
Addressing the opening of the Annual Police Officers’ Conference at Eve Leary, the President said long-standing administrative failures undermine justice and public trust and must be eliminated through technology-driven reform.
“With the technology available today, this old problem of missing case files, misplacing case files, and case files not showing up on time is not practical in today’s world,” President Ali said.
He announced that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) will move this year to a fully digital e-filing and e-case management system.
“We are going to move into an e-filing system and e-case management system. The system will tell us who goes into the system, when they went into the system, when they exited the system, and who updates files,” he explained.
President Ali said digitisation will end reliance on manual processes that cause delays in investigations and court proceedings. Under the new system, officers will no longer have to wait for physical documents to be transported between stations or offices, as reports and statements will be submitted and retrieved electronically. The move is also expected to improve coordination between the Police Force, prosecutors, and the courts.
“We don’t have to wait anymore for somebody to come from Supenaam to bring a statement… Technology is here, and it will be utilised optimally in the Guyana Police Force,” he said.
He stressed that reforms within the Police Force must be matched by changes in the judiciary and legislature.
“There must be a coming together… the reforms are not half done but are critically and structurally integrated throughout the process,” the President stated.
He confirmed that discussions are underway to integrate Police systems with court operations.
“We have to have the discourse with the judiciary… Because it must integrate,” he said.
President Ali said the reform is part of a wider push to modernise policing through technology, adding that inefficiencies linked to outdated practices cannot continue as Guyana adapts to evolving security challenges.
“All of the changes require an update of the regulations for SOP,” President Ali said, directing that a special group be assembled to complete the work.

Human resources, communication
He criticised the mismanagement of human resources within the Police Force.
“We are not optimally utilising this skill set… It’s a waste of training, and it’s a waste of human capital,” he said, citing trained lawyers and forensic officers not being deployed effectively.
President Ali said reform must lead to measurable outcomes.
“All of this must lead to results-based policing,” he declared.
He also highlighted the need to overhaul Police public communication, warning that ineffective messaging can escalate public distrust.
“Communication is key to the work of the Guyana Police Force… slothful communication, ineffective communication, or unstructured communication… must be addressed,” he said.
As part of integrity reforms, the President pointed to the use of body-worn cameras.
“Traffic ranks are now equipped with body-worn cameras, a reform designed to promote greater integrity and professionalism,” he noted.