Technology central to modern policing – Top Cop

…as Police roll out 5300+ body cameras

The Guyana Police Force has deployed more than 5,000 body-worn cameras across police divisions as part of an aggressive push toward technology-driven and evidence-based policing, according to Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken.
Speaking during a recent episode of Police Roundup, Hicken said the Force is accelerating efforts to digitise policing operations nationwide, describing technology as central to modern law enforcement.
“Technology is what is ruling the world,” the Commissioner stated. “We cannot run away from technology. We cannot move away from technology. It is now central to modern policing in the Guyana Police Force.”

Hicken revealed that the Force has already distributed 5,384 body-worn cameras across police divisions throughout the country.
“We have significantly expanded the use of body-worn cameras, with a total of 5,384 across our police divisions,” he disclosed.
“While there was initial resistance, we are seeing a clear shift with ranks recognizing the value of these tools and actively using them.”
According to the Commissioner, the cameras are playing a role in strengthening transparency and accountability within policing operations.
“The body-worn cameras ensure transparency, first of all, protect officers and provide an accurate, objective record for every action taken in the fields,” he explained.
The Commissioner said the emphasis on technology will form a major component of the Force’s upcoming Strategic Plan 2027-2031.
“That’s why in our 2027-2031 strategic plan currently being developed, introduces a dedicated pillar on technology, innovation, and adaptability,” he stated.
Hicken further disclosed that the Force has decentralised computer training and literacy programmes to divisions countrywide as part of the modernisation drive.
“We have also decentralized all our computer centers,” he said. “Ranks in all the divisions have access to computer literacy training as we strengthen evidence-based policing through technology.”
The Commissioner said the Guyana Police Force is also moving toward the digitisation of reports and other operational systems.
“At the last officers’ conference, the President spoke to digitizing the country, and when the country is being digitized, the force has to be digitized,” he stated.
“And I did spoke to the public at the conference in my speech, and I said within the fourth, six months, we’ll be taking reports by a computer.” “And so, we are in the process of digitizing the entire force.”
The expansion of the Guyana Police Force’s body-worn camera programme is part of a broader national effort to modernise policing through technology, accountability, and evidence-based operations.
Just last year, the Government of Guyana rolled out approximately 5,000 body-worn cameras to the Guyana Police Force as part of its security sector reform agenda. The initiative is intended to improve transparency in police-public interactions, strengthen operational oversight, and provide objective digital evidence for investigations and court proceedings.
Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken has since confirmed that the deployment has expanded to more than 5,300 cameras across police divisions nationwide, forming one of the most significant technological upgrades within the force. The cameras are now being used across various units as part of routine patrols, stop-and-search operations, and frontline engagements.