-$758.8M allocated to vehicles, cycles
Zsections of the media to the effect that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) was “being starved of resources to successfully and effectively execute its legal mandate to the people of Guyana.”
In a statement on Monday, the ministry said that $2.1b has been spent [and budgeted for 2013] on training, procurement and building projects for the GPF over the last seven years.
A release from the ministry stated that “Never in the history of Guyana, and, particularly, since its independence in 1966, has so many resources been available to the law enforcement agencies, the Guyana Police Force, especially.”
Under training the sum of $167,550,981 was expended; $758,865,921 was spent on procuring motor vehicles including cycles; $326,813,213 was spent on procuring arms and ammunition; $802,837,002 was spent on building projects and $92,794,435 was expended on forensic laboratory equipment – giving the grand total of $2,148,861,552.
The release outlined the actual expenditure of the GPF for the categories of training, procurement of vehicles and building projects for the years from 2007 to 2013.
For training, over the past seven years, the sum of $167,550,981 was expended for members of the GPF, at both the junior and senior levels to attend courses locally. This sum does not include amounts spent on attendance of overseas training courses, as most were fully funded by the sponsors.
The release listed core training programmes organised locally for ranks of the Force included courses for drill instructors, basic instructors, junior prosecutors, senior CID investigators, junior officers and courses in public order tactical training, financial procedures, staff development, crime scene management, basic computer training and instructors development.
The list of overseas courses and areas of training attended by members of the Force included senior officers leadership; collision investigation; sexual offences investigation; strategic management; junior command; supervisory management; human rights and use of force; traffic accidents scene reconstruction; narcotics investigation; techniques for financial investigation; canine and handlers – tracker, drug, ballistics; constable development; hostage negotiation; and fraud investigation.
The release said that in order to increase the mobile capacity of the GPF, the sum of $591,217,921 was expended for the procurement of motor vehicles and cycles over the period 2007-2012. This included the sum of $20,800,000 for the water cannon – which critics have said was a waste of expenditure – and $20, 034,161 for a mobile station in 2010 and $49,905,900 for another mobile police station in 2012.
The ministry said that in 2013, $167,648,000 has also been allocated for the purchase of motor vehicles and cycles.
During the period 2007-2012, GPF building projects including the construction and rehabilitation of facilities amounted to $661,925,791. In 2007, the largest expenditure of $17,843,760, was incurred for the rehabilitation of the narcotics and finger printing building at Eve Leary.
The release listed other significant projects as the extension of the CID Headquarters, Eve Leary, construction of a new annex at the Police Officers’ Mess, Eve Leary, construction of the Makouria police station, Essequibo; rehabilitation of the administrative building, Central Police Station, New Amsterdam, and extension of the Central Immigration and Passport Office, Georgetown.
Among the projects listed for 2008, were the extension of the Felix Austin Police College Training Wing, Eve Leary at $10,766,660; repairs to the Tactical Services Unit Barracks at $5,742,950; and repairs to the Monkey Mountain Police Station at $5,741,320.
In 2009, a commander’s living quarters, and a training facility at the Felix Austin Police College, were constructed for $24,069,328, while the lock-ups at the Brickdam Police Station; the Richard Faikall Police College, Suddie, Essequibo Coast; the traffic officers’ recreation and training area; and the Felix Austin Police College, Adventure, Corentyne, were all rehabilitated at a cost of $34,027,394.
In 2010, a total of $139,458,466 was expended on building projects. Rehabilitation projects including a number of living quarters, amounted to $104,537,399. Three outposts were also constructed at a cost of $34,921,067.
In 2011, there were 14 rehabilitation projects at police stations and living quarters, totalling $73,491,986. Additionally, three outposts were constructed at a cost of $30,491,986.
In 2012, the GPF spent $142,201,639 on building projects, including the rehabilitation of several police stations and lock-ups, the construction of an outpost at Santa Cruz; and the construction of the New Amsterdam Central Police Station for $51,692,311.
The release listed the total approved expenditure for buildings in 2013 as $140,911,211. The approved projects include the rehabilitation of the junior officers’ quarters, at Eve Leary, for $10,815,728, and the construction of the upper flat of the Brickdam lock-ups for $50,714,363.
