Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee called on Community Policing Groups (CPGs) to engage youth in their activities to deter crime, and to set goals for their groups, when the last of the CPG retreats was convened recently at the Berbice High School.
“The sector security always imposes upon us the necessity to be a step ahead of criminals,” Rohee told the retreat. He then encouraged the CPGs to “take stock” of the status of community policing as a system in Guyana and determine where it aspires to be in the future, a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release said. The minister reminded persons interested in community policing that it is a huge responsibility and, except for rural constables, who fall under the Police Act, the ultimate responsibility for safety lies with the police. Nevertheless, he said government is cognisant of the vital contribution that CPG members make in assisting the GPF to reduce crime.
In addition, Regional Chairman of Region Six Zulfikar Mustapha said that most of the issues affecting CPG members in ‘B’ Division are very petty and urged that the members put aside those differences and work in the interest of the communities they serve. “Police cannot work alone, they need the support of civilians and if you fight among yourselves then you can’t perform your duties adequately,” he said.
Regional Chairman of Region Five Harrinarine Baldeo also urged CPG members to develop good working relationships with their communities as well as with the police. “This way you will be able to garner the full cooperation of both the communities and the police,” he said. Also, Divisional Commander Steve Merai pointed out that ‘B’ Division has a shortage of about 400 police ranks and as such the support of CPGs is welcomed. He also noted that while some of the groups, particularly those at Springlands and Canje, are working well, others are not so proactive.
The meeting then urged CPGs to engage in constructive criticisms during their deliberations in the interactive session, which was premised on three main topics: problems affecting community policing, building and expanding community policing, and forging better relations among CPGs, police and communities. At the end of the discussions, the members identified several issues that needed to be addressed and made recommendations on possible solutions.