GCCI calls on Police Force to cease lax posture on crime

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has expressed “intense concern” at the level of crime being perpetrated in Guyana of recent, and called out the Guyana Police Force on its lax posture towards crime.
In a scathing statement on Friday, the GCCI noted that while the Police Force has often said that their official crime statistics indicate a decline in crime, it is of the view that this does not reflect the reality of the prevailing circumstances in the country.
“Rather, and alarmingly so, the GCCI views the decline in official statistics as demonstrative of a loss in confidence in the GPF and reflective of an underreporting in criminal perpetration. Thus, the Chamber of Commerce calls on the Guyana Police Force to adjust its laxed posture on crime and, echoes the sentiments recently expressed by the Honourable Minister of Home Affairs [Robeson Benn], to clamp down on the lawless malaise existing in daily life,” the private sector body noted.

According to the Chamber, lawlessness creates the conditions under which crime flourishes. On this note, the GCCI said it remains extremely concerned that should criminal acts continue unabated, a conducive environment for doing business in Guyana will begin to erode and loss or bodily harm of Guyana’s most valuable resource – its people, will be damaging to the country’s prospects for economic development.
Only last month, acting Police Commissioner, Clifton Hicken reported that most categories of serious crime are at negative growth for 2023 thus far with a 12.6 per cent reduction. However, murder is the only category that has recorded a 37 per cent increase, with 85 cases as against 62 for the period comparatively.
As the GPF rebrands and retools its machinery in keeping with the Strategic Plan 2022-2026, one of the main targets has been to achieve a modernised and contemporary organisation.
The Police Commissioner avouched that the GPF is now in a better position to tackle crime, and stations are equipped to respond to reports, not just for commercial areas, but at the community level with the addition of 30 new vehicles to the existing GPF fleet of 47.
According to Hicken, “We are in a position now, the evidence of which is the reduction of crime by 12.6 per cent, and the stations are now equipped with the tools to respond to reports and occurrences. We’re not just going to focus on the commercial areas or the corporate hub, but we’re focusing heavily on communities, and following up occurrences made by the average person on a daily basis at stations.”
He added, “I think that is a good move for us, because once we can satisfy those demands, it will encourage more persons to come on board and make reports, understanding that the report will be attended to in a professional way.”
However, during a two-day Police Symposium held two weeks ago, Minister Benn stated that the GPF is “behind the curve” in addressing rising developmental issues, but efforts are being made to better address crime-related matters and improve Police facilities countrywide.
The Home Affairs Minister noted that the GPF is the “tip of the spear” in respect to ensuring peace and security in the country, though modern policing and addressing rising issues now require a broad-based, more academic, statistically-driven and humanistic approach.
In bettering the approach towards addressing the concerns of citizens, Benn stated, new Police stations and command centres are being built across the regions with the requisite facilities.
“We want those new stations and also the old ones to be properly outfitted. We want the public to feel that the Police station is a welcoming place for people; that it’s a place for help; that women who are abused or suffering from any [form] of violence should be treated in a respectful manner; and that they should be helped,” the Home Affairs Minister said.
To provide this space of help and sanctity for those in distress, Benn added, is a task the Police Force will have to work on regularly. (G8)