Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee on Thursday met with residents and Community Policing Groups (CPGs) in Leguan, Wakenaam, Hog and Fort islands to listen to concerns affecting their livelihoods and called for more policing groups.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release Rohee first visited Leguan, where he inspected the island’s Police Station and checked on its operations. He also met residents at the Leguan Magistrate’s Court where they expressed the need for a vehicle for the police officers. Residents also asked that a mechanism be set up to facilitate the issuance of driver’s licences, since it is costly to travel to other places such as Parika and Anna Regina where it is being done. They also voiced concerns about noise nuisance on the island.
In response, Rohee said his ministry has started an aggressive campaign against noise nuisance and encouraged them to report all instances.
He also promised to examine the possibility of sourcing a vehicle for the police station. The minister said too an inspection of the station’s records revealed an increase in the number of cases of domestic violence in the community. He noted that this was cause for concern and informed them about government’s efforts to tackle the issue.
According to GINA, only four of Leguan’s 27 villages have CPGs which the minister said was unacceptable. “We need to have a community policing group in almost every village or at least two villages combined, we have about 23 villages on this island that do not have CPGs, we need to improve that situation,” he said. The minister challenged residents to encourage others to join CPGs since “the strength of the Guyana Police Force is not commensurate with the population.”
The minister’s second stop in his tour of the Essequibo River islands was at Wakenaam where he interacted with residents and members of the CPGs at the Sans Souci Primary School. Residents requested more police officers and highlighted the need for domestic violence awareness sessions in the community. The CPG also requested bicycles.
In response, Rohee said government is working to recruit more officers and reiterated his appeal for community members to join the force or the CPGs. “You have to get involved, you have to go to the other villages where people complain of not having community policing and get them involved,” he said. GINA said there are 21 villages at Wakenaam and only six have CPGs.
At the Western Hog Island Primary School, residents complained that their crops were being destroyed by wild animals. They also said there was need for a permanent police outpost in the area and requested a boat for the CPGs. Some residents also said the island needs more qualified teachers.
In response, minister said his ministry had received several requests for the establishment of police outposts but they are “expensive ventures and before they are established certain procedures have to be followed such as determining the ideal location.” Rohee also said he would inform the education minister about the need for more teachers on the island. The last stop on the minister’s tour was at Fort Island where residents said they were concerned about the number of illegal rum shops and stray animals. Residents also told the minister that the island has no CPG.
In response, the minister said he is collaborating closely with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to address the problem of illegal rum shops and informed residents of the recently amended pound act. He also urged them to consider forming a CPG. GINA said officials from the ministry and the Guyana Police Force will visit Fort Island to explore setting up a CPG.
