Over 2000 police ranks, 762 detectives to be trained ahead of 2025 elections

Government has announced plans to train 2,039 police officers and 762 detectives in 2025, ahead of the upcoming General and Regional Elections.
With a substantial budget of $250 million allocated to human resource development within the Guyana Police Force (GPF), Government aims to bolster the crime-fighting capabilities of the GPF and enhance law enforcement efficiency.
Emphasising that the initiative focuses on equipping officers with critical security skills to effectively combat crime, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn has said that training would include specialized areas such as criminal investigations, intelligence gathering, and community policing, thereby ensuring that officers are well-prepared to handle evolving security challenges.
Noting that this move is a vital component geared at maintaining peace and order as the 2025 General and Regional Elections approach, Benn has said, “The type and quality and footprint related to the training, and the facilities which we now have upgraded, are much better, so the quality and delivery in terms of number per training cohort is more efficient now… It’s an election year, so that for that very reason the type of training may be significantly different. So, the amount…is a proportion here similar to last year, but with different focus,”Minister Benn told the Committee of Supply on Wednesday as the Estimates of Expenditure for Financial Year 2025 were being considered.
In addition to training efforts, the Government has earmarked $6.7 billion in capital expenditure for infrastructure improvements within the Force. Benn noted that this investment would fund construction, reconstruction and renovation of police stations nationwide and procure state-of-the-art equipment to modernise policing efforts.
As the country continues to develop, the minister explained, strengthening the Police Force remains a top priority in fostering a secure and stable environment for all citizens.
“We expect that (if) there will be more effort, there will be less crime. That we speak in the Ministry of increasing the peace in Guyana…There are attempts at making trend analyses based on the amount of effort, the amount of resources, which are being put into policing and the work of the Human Services, Ministry of Education and other places to bring these numbers down,” he added.
The (GPF) has already commenced preparatory works in anticipation of the 2025 General and Regional Elections. In fact, the Commissioners of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) have recently paid a courtesy call on Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken at his offices at Eve Leary to discuss areas of mutual cooperation.
During that meeting, Shaikh Moeen-ul Hack, Chairman of the ERC, expressed gratitude to the Guyana Police Force (GPF) for providing training to ERC staff on the Cybercrime Act and on CID Induction Training for the ERC’s Investigative Unit.
In response, Commissioner Hicken reaffirmed the GPF’s commitment to providing additional training support to the ERC, and welcomed the opportunity for GPF officers to benefit from ERC-led training in areas such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
The ERC and GPF have already collaborated on several cases related to violations of the Racial Hostility Act and the Cybercrime Act, some of which are ongoing. With the country entering the elections season, both sides recognize the importance of enhanced collaboration. To strengthen this partnership, they intend to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to streamline the handling of cases forwarded by the ERC.
The ERC and GPF have reaffirmed their shared commitment to upholding the rule of law by fostering ethnic harmony, security and good relations across Guyana. (G1)