GPF should return to its former glory – Ramnarine

… as new recruits and junior officers were awarded

The performance of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) came under scrutiny by Assistant Commissioner David Ramnarine, who declared that it is important for the Force to return to its former glory.
Ramnarine made the declaration as 14 officers out of recruit courses along with 23 for the Junior Officers’ Course received special recognition at a Felix Austin Police College passing-out parade on Friday.
Held at the Police Officers’ Training Centre, Eve Leary, the ceremony concluded the five-month training of some 113 new officers to be added to the Police Force.
The ranks underwent rigorous mind building training, especially in discipline even as they were introduced to policing which looked at basic policing such as traffic, crime, anger management, English language, domestic violence and communication.

Aquatic classes, martial arts, physical training and operation readiness, post-mortem examination conducting, first-hand experience of court proceedings, preparation of case jackets, sessions of drills and firearm classes – which included live firing exercises – was all taught to the new recruits.
Delivering the feature address, the Assistant Commissioner made a stern call for the Force to drive out any lackadaisical behaviour by “improving our professionalism, our professionalism must improve”.
According to Ramnarine, the quality of service of the GDF needs to be improved in order for it to be acceptable, for trust, confidence, respect and more over for public support and recognition to be reciprocated, “our professionalism must improve”.
“This involves all of us as a collective. We must rebuke firmly those amongst us who are prone to unprofessional acts and be open and willing to be openly citizen in the process. The Guyana Police Force is an organisation whose members sworn to serve and protect. Ever since the advent of the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) in 1998, the strengthening of the Police complaints authority, the veracious scrutiny of the media and other bodies, strong ministerial and parliamentary oversight, it has become increasingly clear that our Police Force will be subjected to greater and a more incisive scrutiny. A fact that we must quickly accept, embrace and fix our problems,” Ramnarine said.
The Commissioner called the attitude of some members of the Force, acts of unprofessional conduct, gross indiscipline and poor quality of service.
The members of the Force were urged to “rise from the sleepwalking days and erroneous believes!”
He highlighted behaviours exhibited by ranks, one of which was drugs being found in the systems of six Police Constables.
“If indeed we agree that professionalism is about the qualities of behaviours we exhibit then certainly, the poor quality, unbecoming and disgusting behaviours displayed in the instances in which I just highlighted confirms to unprofessional conduct,” Ramnarine remarked.
As such, he called for change in order for the Force to move forward and achieve its objectives.