Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee says community policing plays a vital role in fighting crime and urged members to remain vigilant and support ranks at the ‘C’ Division Community Policing Groups AGM held at the Lusignan Community Centre.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release Rohee told the meeting that while some acts of criminality, though unjustified could be explained, the brutal attack perpetrated on unarmed persons at Lusignan last year, particularly innocent children asleep in their beds, cannot be explained. Reminiscing on the tragedy, Rohee said residents had demonstrated their despair and anger at the situation and had accused the government of being unable to stem the escalating crime situation. However, he said one year later “persons must admit that there has been a vast improvement in the crime situation.”
Following the brutal attack on the village President Bharrat Jagdeo and other ministers had met with Lusignan residents and those from nearby communities. Residents had requested a number of measures to be adapted to assist in providing additional security while the president had urged them to form CPGs in villages where none existed and to resuscitate them in villages where they were not functioning.
Currently there are 46 functional CPGs in ‘C’ Division, with over 1500 registered members, over 400 of whom are rural constables. The groups are equipped with five vehicles, motor cycles and bicycles and they have conducted over 8000 patrols, effected 125 arrests, 74 of which resulted in charges being laid.
Further, after residents had complained that on the night of the murders police had been indifferent to their calls, new standing orders have been issued which require ranks to state their service number, rank and name when answering calls. This was aimed at ensuring that callers could identify to whom a report was made. This new method is said to be successful as several bandits have been pursued and caught because of the quick to reports made after and or during the commission of crimes.
A request from the residents to clear the backlands of the lower East Coast Demerara villages had also unearthed a partly-buried decomposed body while two bandits were killed by ranks of the Joint Services in a shoot out in the said area.
The identified need for aerial surveillance to support the officers on the ground resulted in government setting aside $1B to retool the security services, GINA said. It also said two Bell 206 helicopters equipped with special features were purchased and have contributed significantly to the dismantling of the of Rondel ‘Fineman’ Rawlins gang. The release said the strengthening of the intelligence capabilities of the security sector resulted in the arrest of 29 members and/or supporters of the gang while several others were killed in shoot-outs with officers during raids to their hideouts in different parts of the country.
Additionally, Rohee reminded the CPGs that crime is present in every society and that they needed to remain vigilant and support the work of the law enforcement agencies to ensure that their communities remain safe.
