Police yesterday announced increased patrols for Georgetown and its environs, assuring that crime would be kept in check during the Christmas season.
As part of the force’s annual Christmas policing plan, which was launched yesterday, there will be an increased police presence on the streets during the upcoming holiday season to ensure public safety and to keep traffic congestion minimal. The plan, which covers the period November 15 to January 15 next year, will entail round-the-clock foot and vehicular patrols, the setting up of policing booths, raids, roadblocks, and river patrols. Booths will be placed at various locations around the city and will be manned by two armed ranks. When the booths close, there will be vehicular patrols in the respective areas.
Some of the areas that the plan will concentrate on include the main municipal markets, Houston, Agricola, Eccles, Kaneville, Albouystown, South, North, East and West Ruimveldt and Sophia.
Citizens can expect to see police officers on foot, bicycle, motorcycle and vehicular patrols. The force will also place desk officers on street patrols to help with the success of the plan.
The force will receive support from the City Constabulary, the private sector, private security services, neighbourhood policing groups and community policing groups.
Though yesterday’s launching was confined to `A’ Division (Georgetown), the other five divisions across the country each have a plan for the upcoming season.
Outlining his plan for Georgetown, Commander Leroy Brumell said there will be raids and he singled out nightclubs as one of the targets. He said too that there would special operations in collaboration with the Guyana Defence Force that would see the regular use of the army helicopters.
Speaking on the issue of manpower, the Commander said that though a lot of officers would be involved in the plan, all police stations would remain open.
Between December 23 and 25, he added there will be an increase in shopping but the force is prepared to work 24 hours in the shopping areas. Brumell stated that Old Years Night will again see some more activity and they are prepared to handle that as well as the Main Big Lime and the Kashif and Shanghai Football finals to be staged at the National Stadium, Providence.
Acting Police Commis-sioner Henry Greene told the gathering that the aim of the presentation was to show the public at Christmas time what the force was doing. “There was a lot of issue and doubt and concern about the police not having something to tell the public. How do we assure them? This has become a culture of the police force to notify the public and the press as to what we plan to do… how we secure you during this period,” he said.
Greene said officers have been under tremendous pressure and pointed out that the force has reassigned ranks from clerical posts to the road. “We intend again to bring out more during this period – Christmas. We intend to ensure that we have ranks on the streets working in conjunction with members of the joint services. We hope to have the support of the private sector and private security services…, neighbourhood police…, community police… during this coming period,” he added.
The commissioner said that attention has been paid to police officers this year and that has motivated a lot of them.
“When they go out there, they want to work. We have bad eggs. We have ranks doing what we call nonsense and we deal with them in the same way they do it. You do nonsense we deal with you in the same manner. If you have to be charged, you’re charged. If you have to be dismissed, you’re dismissed. We do not tolerate, any sort of nonsense,” he said.
Meanwhile, attention will also be paid to the traffic situation during the season. Traffic chief Neil Semple said there would be an in increase foot patrols and motorcycle and car patrols to deal with traffic offences, including speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, double parking and other illegal parking and traffic congestion. He said police would also be towing vehicles.
The traffic department will monitor the streets from 6 am to midnight daily to ensure the traffic is under control. Roads to be targeted include Regent Street, Sheriff Street, Aubrey Barker Road and the Ferry Stelling area.
