A fraction of the 1,659 police ranks who performed their duties exceptionally well for this year yesterday received monetary rewards and trophies during a simple ceremony held at the Police Officers Mess Annex, Eve Leary.
At the end of every year the Guyana Police Force honours outstanding officers.
Sergeant Garfield Headley of E&F Division won the Best Cop award for which he received $250,000 and a number of prizes from the Roraima Group of Companies. Headley was also named Best Cop for his division for solving seven out of 11 murders as well as for his work in the area of robbery under arms. For this he received $150,000.
Best Cops were awarded for each division and these ranks were successful in investigations involving traffic, drugs, firearm recovery and murder.
Among the other ranks who were honoured during yesterday’s simple ceremony were those in the Lethem arms bust, which resulted in charges being laid against one person and the issuing of a wanted bulletin for another. They were awarded $100,000.
On October 1, around 3 pm, police raided a house at Tabatinga and found 10 automatic rifles along with matching ammunition, two shrapnel hand grenades; one Icon VHF radio set; one Icon hand-held radio set; and one roll of camouflage material.
Ricardo Rodrigues, a one-time associate of confessed drug lord Roger Khan was questioned over the find. He was gunned down execution style a few days later.
Also rewarded were sportsman of the year Corporal Randolph Morgan, a weightlifter and sportswoman, Natasha Alder, an all-round athlete.
Police Commissioner (ag) Leroy Brumell urged the ranks to make the best of the monetary rewards they were receiving and to ensure that they put aside some for Christmas
“We cannot award the whole force but we try our utmost to award those who we feel deserve it. The force is a professional force and I will always reiterate that I want us to walk that plank of professionalism,” he stressed to those gathered.
He stated that there are some very good ranks within the force.
