Dear Editor,

I wish to support and join with the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Clement Rohee in his call for the formation of more community policing groups, since he acknowledged that there is a shortage of police officers and there will indeed be positive results in relation to crime with the input of Community Policing Groups.

The officer-in-charge of every police station should ensure that there is an active policing group in every community in his station district, and the divisional community policing executive should also ensure that the same happens in their division. Only so can community policing be fostered and encouraged.

In 1999, the United Kingdom’s Caribbean Regional Adviser, Mr Paul Matthias came to Guyana to review the Guyana Police Force/Community Policing, and he described Community Policing as the jewel in the crown of a force which has a ‘poor public image”.

Being a former National Community Policing Executive, Public Relations Officer/Assistant Secretary, and also former Chairman and Advisor for ‘C’ Division Community Policing Executive, and present Chairman for Better Hope Community Policing Group, I have led this Group to a National Group Award (Medal of Service) in 2000, the only Community Policing Group in the world to have received a National Award from its government.

‘Community policing is everybody’s business, all must be involved.

Yours faithfully,

Parmanand Sukhu, J.P.