Police stats accurate – Top Cop

As crime spirals out of control

Over the past months, there has been much public outrage over the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and Government’s posture that the country’s serious crime figures are on the decline, with many commentators and groups saying that the statistics do not truly reflect the crime situation.

Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud
Police Commissioner
Seelall Persaud

However, addressing the matter, Top Cop Seelall Persaud explained that the figures published by the GPF are based on reports made that are computerised for analysis.
“The crime statistics are what they are. They are genuine, they’re accurate and whenever we receive reports, they are entered into a system – an electronic platform. The ability to change that is only at certain responsible levels and it is what we have. The reason I think for the disbelief is that every day you see on the front pages, high profile crimes being committed like armed robberies, some murder somewhere,” he stated.
Persaud was at the time addressing a gathering of senior and junior Police officers, the business sector and other stakeholders at the A Division (Georgetown/East Bank Demerara) Christmas Luncheon and Award Ceremony held on Friday.

A Division Best Cop Sergeant Herbert Henry and runner-up Constable Richard Trotz along with Divisional Commander Clifton Hicken following the award ceremony
A Division Best Cop Sergeant Herbert Henry and runner-up Constable Richard Trotz along with Divisional Commander Clifton Hicken following the award ceremony

According to the Commissioner, crime is a social problem and a law enforcement solution can never work comprehensively. Hence the Force has started a number of partnership programmes.
“We need public trust… we need partners within the communities that can assist us in dealing with crime. It is a social problem so we have to find social solutions. We have to improve on what is happening at the level of family, education, religion and community.”
In this vain, the Top Cop commended the officers in A Division awarded for their outstanding work and urged them to keep up the good work: “It is critical for us to recognise good behaviour by our ranks, recognise good work by our ranks we jump in the same breath to criticise them for bad behaviour. They look forward to these events,” he remarked.

Good work of ranks
Moreover, the Police Commissioner outlined that publicly recognising the good work of ranks goes a long way in establishing healthy competitive behaviour, as well as building spirit.
“For us, team spirit is inevitable. We cannot have a one-man hero, we have to have efforts of every being complemented by every other rank that can complement that effort so that we’re able to pull in the same direction,” Persaud stated.
Furthermore, the Top Cop commended the Division for the work it has done over the years, noting that it has been able to maintain a declining patterning on all three fronts: crime, traffic and social efforts.
Divisional Commander, Clifton Hicken disclosed during his brief remarks that with the exception of burglary, all categories of serious crimes in the Division have reduced.
“(In) all other categories of serious crimes we are down… we are currently enjoying a 20 per cent decrease in serious crimes,” he posited, while crediting this achievement to the support the Force has been receiving at the level of the communities.
“We are solving crimes faster than we would normally do and that is because we are building capacity with the members of the public and that will continue as long as I’m in the Force,” he stated.
The Commander also expressed appreciation to the corporate sector for their continuous support to the Police Force, particularly in the furtherance of its social crime prevention efforts at the level of communities.
Meanwhile, the business sector displayed the extent of their support with the donation of several prizes for the award ceremony.
CID detective Sergeant Herbert Henry of Brickdam Police Station secured the Best Cop award and received several prizes, including a trip for two to Kaieteur Falls and Arrowpoint Resort on behalf of Roraima Airways.
Additionally, the second Best Cop spot went to traffic rank Constable Richard Trotz, who was presented with a flat screen television from Courts and a bicycle from National Hardware.