Police roll out decentralised system for gun licences, fitness, clearances

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) is working to improve the lives of its officers and civilians alike with enhanced services and facilities.
This is according to Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken on this week’s edition of ‘Safeguarding Our Nation’, where he noted that the GPF is decentralising the delivery of its services to outlying regions while improving the working conditions within the Force.

Some of the services that are being decentralised include the delivery of passports, certificates of fitness for motor vehicles, gun licences and police clearance.
“What we’re doing now is that it goes straight back to the home instead of people coming to Georgetown. That is happening with the [vehicle] fitness too, that is happening with ammunition and police clearance,” the Police Commissioner said.
He noted that this service reduces not only time, but money spent by residents of outlying areas such as those in Regions One, Seven, Eight, and Ten in retrieving their documents.
“Even to Region 10, those people have to come to Georgetown to acquire services and when they are coming to Georgetown, they are spending a lot of money – ten times more than they are paying for the packages they are coming for, so we decided that we will help these people out,” he noted.
Hicken assumed his role on March 30, 2022. After taking up his post, he said the Force developed a strategic plan focused on six pillars surrounding development of people, infrastructure, partnership, operation, performance, professionalism and accountability.
Emanating from the infrastructure aspect of its plan, he said it was recognised that “the police are behaving how they were behaving because the stations aren’t conducive for them to optimise their full potential.”
As such, the Force embarked on constructing new police stations across the country which meet the minimum standards for international best practices.
“What is not completed yet, is at an advanced stage of completion,” he said.
The new facilities have also improved the relationships with the public, he said. This is complemented by the expansion of the GPF’s Community Relations Department.
The Commissioner encouraged citizens to file complaints with the Regional Commanders, the Office of Professional Responsibility, the Police Complaints Authority or himself if they are not receiving the required services from the police officers.