GM&CC, Police to formalise action plan to beef up security in city

The Georgetown Mayor and City Councillors (M&CC) are working on formalising a joint action plan with the Guyana Police Force (GPF), which would see the two organisations collaborating to improve security in the capital city.

This was revealed by the city’s Mayor Pandit Ubraj Narine during a press conference on Friday to update the public on recent initiatives, and other matters.

The announcement comes days after the US Embassy in Guyana issued a security warning to its staff and its citizens in which it highlighted that Georgetown is rated “critical” for crime. The notice warned that incidents of robberies, sexual assault, vehicle accidents, and homicides occur, particularly in high-risk areas after dark.
It advised mission personnel to use extreme caution when visiting the Bourda and Stabroek Markets whether during the day or at night. The US Embassy also warned them against visiting these locations alone.
Following the security alert, the Mayor and high-ranking Police officers engaged in discussions in ways to make markets safer for vendors and citizens.
Speaking about the MoU, he said, “It is long overdue. Since 2019 this Council took office…we are trying to get an MoU to sign between the Guyana Police Force and the Mayor and City Council so that we can be able to have collaborations within certain areas…”
Asked why the M&CC waited until the Embassy’s warning to take action, he responded: “The City Council never wait on the US Embassy, the Government had to wait on the Embassy to issue such a statement. The City Council penned several letters to the current Commissioner of Police to have meetings and a way forward.”
But according to the Mayor, he received no reply to those correspondents.
“This MoU would entail, if the Government receives donations for the Guyana Police Force, the City Constabulary must get some benefit from it… If they [Police Force] gets vehicles….I as the Mayor am not asking for six and seven vehicles, give us one. And if you give us one from every donation, we will be able to have resources. If you give us bikes, it will assist us. If you give us some training, which is necessary, that will help us. Training is very necessary for the City Constabulary. So, the MoU will entail all of this. The only way you can able to have a proper security system in this city and this country at large, it is collaboration,” Narine added.
He believes that the partnership is necessary because it will enable the City Constabulary to work with the National Police to protect citizens. Last week, the Police Force conducted a walkabout of the Stabroek Market area to begin mapping out strategies for better policing.
The GPF has said it would immediately provide resources to the M&CC to have visible Police presence in the areas and would continue further collaborative efforts to enhance public safety.
Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn has said the GPF has been working on this initiative since November 2021 “without the fanfare”, while noting that the issuance of the US Embassy’s warning was “coincidental”.
Just recently, at the Guyana Police Force’s Annual Police Officers’ Conference, the Home Affairs Minister noted that the work of the Police Force and its specialist agencies and related agencies is not an easy one. He also announced that there has been a reduction in serious crimes around the country.
“We’re talking perhaps about 30 per cent reduction in serious crimes, and doing 20 per cent in this year’s reduction. But we have to recognise that the work requires constant attention. It requires having a level of strength in relation to maintaining and improving our posture and, of course, the level of our performance with respect to the work that we do administratively and operationally.”