GPF goes fully digital from Jan 2026 – Top Cop pledges paperless force

…as DSP Fredericks named best cop of CID

In keeping with the Government’s mandate to modernise the Guyana Police Force (GPF), Top Cop Clifton Hicken has announced that the force will be fully electronic by the end of January 2026. The Police Commissioner was at the time speaking at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Annual Award Ceremony at the Police Officers’ Mess, Eve Leary, Georgetown. “Next year, we are going electronic. Everything will be done electronically for us, and so the constables will be taking statements via computer. We will have all the links. We are going to have a computer-driven force, and so we are going to get rid of all the paper… we’ve already forecasted it to integrate members of the police force so they can understand the computers. We had to have other branches outside to create this type of input,” Hicken added. He stated that in order to assist those ranks who are not computer literate, the GPF is partnering with ZARA to offer the necessary training. “We are partnering with ZARA across all the regions…and so, for the constables, the corporals and the sergeants, if you’re not computer literate, go to ZARA, and it’s free of cost. Get yourself equipped, get yourself organised, because after the first month of next year, you’re going to see computers being set up and you are required to use that computer to do the people’s work.”

The top cop added that it will also help to retrieve information with the click of a button. What we will take three days to find, a click of a button, and the information will become available.” In addition, Hicken commended the CID for honouring its ranks who qualify themselves while noting that this aligns with the force’s aim of developing every member. “I’m happy that the Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum, took this step to ensure that you honour the people who would have qualified themselves. It is very simple; you are now in this era, and you’re getting everything free as far as I’m concerned. In our era, it was different, and so we are going to encourage you, from the most junior constable, every day you look at the papers, you look at advertisements, and you see what you can study. Getting yourself academically qualified is the thing of the day, so the sergeants, the constables who don’t have CXC, enroll now.” He, nevertheless, encouraged the constables who are pursuing diplomas, degrees and master’s to continue doing so.

“I’m saying this to the CID because you need to know that whenever a report is taken, you need to follow that report until its completion. If you’re dealing with a matter, you must inform the person of the status of the matter until its conclusion.”

Performance
The top cop further commended the CID for its excellent performance, adding that the ranks are going beyond their call of duty to ensure the citizenry is safe.
“It is because of your collaboration with the regional division, for the first time in the history of this country, we are now enjoying a minus 27 percent decrease in crime. “In the next year, we are going to have a conference very early, and so we’re going to decide on what we want to do and how we’re going to manage you. More importantly, CID, you are not confined to any region. You can work in Region One today and tomorrow you’re in Region Two, the next day you’re in Region Five. You know why? We don’t transfer rubbish. We transfer you from one place, or rotate you from one place to another, so you can improve your performance. That is what is required from you, and that is what we are going to ensure happens. On the operation pillar, the CID should be focusing heavily on operations. Operation, by its existence, tells us that we have to have an increase of seizures in guns, drugs and everything that is unlawful.”

Training
On this note, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum stated that earnest efforts are ongoing to ensure that all detectives improve their performance and receive the highest level of training. He noted that this strategy emanated from an assessment during which training gaps were identified and addressed. “For this year, our detectives benefited from several local and overseas courses, some of which are crime scene management, forensic video analysis, use and handling of confidential sources, cybercrime course, crime mapping, scene investigators course, intelligence gathering and analysis seminar, and junior leadership course, just to name a few.”
“Our detectives did not only excel in Guyana, but they did so regionally,” he added while referencing several ranks, including Sergeant Ravindra Beepat, Corporal Gerald Rodriques and Constable King, who have outshone their regional colleagues in their respective courses. Further, he stated that during 2025, several ranks graduated from the University of Guyana (UG) and other academic institutions while several are pursuing studies, all with the aim of elevating themselves and the image of the GPF.

Awards
Overall Best Cop of 2025, Deputy Superintendent of Police Fiona Fredericks from the Narcotics Branch, was also named the best performer in the CID, while Sergeant Ravindra Beepat from the Major Crimes Investigation Unit was named the runner -up. Both received trophies, cash prizes, and other awards worth millions. Several other ranks have also been named best performers in their respective divisions. These include Sergeant Steffon Brummell from the Crime Lab; Sergeant Rickford King from the Fraud Squad; Sergeant Gary Jordan from the Cybercrime Unit; Corporal Lallchan Ragbeer from the Forensic Video Analysis Unit; Lance Corporal Steche Forde from the Returnee/Finance Department ; Inspector Faith Allicock from the Criminal Records Office; Lance Corporal Kenesha Joseph from the Registry; Sergeant Fieoka Raymond from the Statistics Unit; Sergeant Lea James from Interpol; Sergeant Lisa Pooran from the Prosecutors Office; Inspector Luxley Dodson from the Supreme Criminal Court; and Lance Corporal Jamal Gonsalves from the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Unit. In addition, detectives from Regions Three, Four C, Four A, Six, Eight and Nine were also honoured.