Regional Joint Support Team being equipped to combat crime

− only criminals have anything to fear from team – Ali

The Regional Joint Support Team that was budgeted for in supplemental provisions in June, is currently being outfitted. In fact, one unit from the team has even gone active and according to President Dr Irfaan Ali, only the criminals have anything to fear from the establishment of this team.
The President made this pronouncement during a press conference on Monday. He made it clear that these regional support units are a critical part of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government’s efforts to strengthen its regional approach to crime.
The parliamentary Opposition, A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) has been vocal in its criticism of the setting up of the Regional Joint Support Team. But according to Ali, all the political parties promised on the campaign trail to regionalise crime fighting. The setting up of the Joint Support Team happens to be in line with the PPP/C’s own promises.
“Like all the political parties promised, regionalisation of crime fighting is important. And the nature of crime itself is changing. And as the country grows and becomes richer and more sophisticated, the type of crimes will also become more sophisticated. That is why we have these regional integrated crime fighting units, that are fused together with officers from varied agencies with different skillsets,” President Ali explained.

“So that you can have a combined approach with intelligence sharing, crime fighting and rapid response. In any situation. Now who would not want this? The only people who would reject this are persons who want to facilitate those crimes. The only people who would reject a stronger, more integrated approach to crime fighting, are persons who find some amount of romance with crime.”
Back in June, the Government was granted approval for $700 million for the Joint Support Team under the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) as part of the over $23 billion in supplemental funds it had gone to the National Assembly for. Ali said that these monies are currently being spent operationalising the units.
“The units, as you are aware, are presently being outfitted. We have budgeted resources to bring them into operation. So, the operation of the unit, I know for example in Region Four, one of the units has already been part of the support mechanism with the Guyana Police Force. So, the operationalising of the unit will come sequentially as we are in the process of outfitting and equipping the units.”
The President also sought to assuage concern that the Regional Joint Support Teams might end up becoming parallel to or rivalling the functions of the Guyana Police Force (GPF). He noted that the Police Force is actively involved in this Regional Support Team.
“The Regional Joint Support Team cannot and will never be parallel to the Guyana Police Force. The difference is that now you have a broadened inter agency unit that will assist in crime fighting. It is not parallel; it is not separate. It is part of. The agency has officers from intelligence agencies, from drug enforcement, from Police, from Joint Services.”
“It is an integrated approach. It brings varied skillsets, together. The unit is and will be highly trained, to respond to various security challenges. We have to build our capacity and that is what is being done here,” President Ali said.