…as President outlines high hopes for Security Sector Reform
As the Government moves ahead with plans for the implementation of the Security Sector Reform Programme, President David Granger on Monday announcement that this initiative is expected to take off as early as next year.
While speaking at a momentous occasion for the Guyana Police Force on Monday, the President indicated that further enhancements are awaiting the country’s crime fighting system.
This was as he noted, “We restarted, with the permission of the British Government, the Security Sector Reform Project and next year that project will be
President David Granger speaking of the reform initiative
transformed into a formal department in order to implement the recommendations which are now being drafted.”
With the impending establishment of the Security Sector Reform Programme, the Head of State went on to outline what is in store for this initiative.
He pointed out that, “The Force’s efficiency will be enhanced further through improved management, training and the provision of more, and improved, equipment. Your government is committed to ensuring that the Force is given the tools to do the work which it is required to do.”
Having highlighted the need for this undertaking, Granger further underlined one of the major changes which will take place in the Guyana Police Force as part of the reform venture.
“The Police Force will adapt the same divisional structure as the 10 administrative regions of our country so that every divisional commander will be able to relay to a Regional Chairman in the RDC. Every capital town will be the headquarters of a Police division,” the Head of State conveyed.
Meanwhile, even with the longstanding intentions to revisit and restructure Guyana’s security sector, this reform was fast-tracked, especially after the Camp Street fire and jailbreak which posed a major national threat to public security.
As such, a security expert from the United Kingdom, who was brought in last year to assist the Government with the Reform Programme, was also asked to look at the July prison riots as a part of the reform venture.
With the preparations already well underway, this initiative is expected to commence bearing fruits within the coming months.
In fact, Minister of State Joseph Harmon told the media at the same occasion that the Security Sector Reform Programme is slated to kick off in less than five months.
This is as Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge revealed in May that funding for Guyana’s revised Security Sector Reform Action Plan (SSRAP) could be dispersed by the end of the year.
