Police to establish tourism, oil & gas, aviation units in 2025

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) is set to see major transformations in 2025 including the establishment of specialised units for the tourism, oil and gas, and aviation sectors.

This is according to acting Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken who delivered the feature address at the Force’s annual awards ceremony on Thursday.
He noted that the force will also establish a modern Police Academy at Dora along the Soesdyke/Linden Highway. “The establishment at Dora, it’s going to be more critical and we’re going to be in a better place,” the Commissioner said.
Also, on the agenda in 2025 is transforming the GPF to the Guyana Police Service. “We’ve been saying that one and half years now and we’re going to push in 2025 to have that done,” Hicken said.
He disclosed that the GPF will establish a neighbourhood council and a neighbourhood watch policing programme to build better relations with communities and aid in crime fighting.
Further, there will be the establishment of “functional willingness programmes” that build capacity and resilience for ranks, broaden evidence-based practices to support crime detection and enforcement, mobilization of multi-agency and inter-judicial initiatives targeting crime, building capacity of accident and investigation units at police stations, and the establishment of a rehabilitation programme for incarcerated individuals focusing on education, skill development and Reintegration into society.
According to Hicken, the police will continue to decentralize key departments and services such as community relations, SWAT and canine units among others to enhance services across the region.
He also promised the establishment of a monitoring unit in police regional divisions to improve transparency and track operational progress. With plans to further increase training programmes in criminology, traffic management, emotional intelligence, evidence collection and storage for ranks, he urged all officers to work diligently to fulfil their roles.
“Let us continue to approach our duties with honour, integrity, with unwavering determination knowing that our collective efforts will create a safer and brighter future for all,” the Commissioner said.