Nearly 100 police officers from ‘A’ Division were on Friday recognised for their hard work and dedication throughout the year, at their Annual Christmas Luncheon and Award Ceremony, where Com-missioner of Police Seelall Persaud also offered the division the sum of $400,000.
During the activity, which was held in the compound of the Brickdam Police Station, the police officers were presented with cash, trophies, plaques or certificates for their services.
In his feature address, the Commissioner lauded the hard work, commitment and team effort shown by the division throughout the year, which led to many achievements including the overall 20% decrease in serious crimes. “Recognizing efforts of our employees publicly goes a long way…, towards healthy competitive behaviour as well as building team spirit,” Persaud said.
He told the gathering that work on the social crime prevention method was ongoing, noting that it was one of the three major projects he desires to complete before his retirement.
The other two projects, according to him, are improvement in the force’s traffic department and creating better public relations. “Our PR has suffered tremendously for as long as I can remember and [improving it] is something that the Public Relations Officer has already started with the officers that comprise the performance group [developing] a plan for next year,” Persaud said. He believes all of the projects are achievable especially with his present team.
He admitted that the force’s traditional means of disseminating and receiving news were no longer effective. “There are people who we are seeing entering the justice system, meaning they are being arrested and so on now for crimes, …they are persons who play videos games and live on social media. They don’t watch the television or read the newspapers so the positive messages that come through these media do not impact them,” he said.
The commissioner said that he also desires the police’s PR to play a more important role in steering persons away from crime and to do so, help will be sought from experts in public relations.
As it relates to traffic, the Commissioner said that while the efforts have been enormous, the amount of cases, particularly driving under the influence and speeding, have increased exponentially. As such, he said, there is need for similar strategies such as those in place to fight crime. He said, “Revoking and suspending licences may be a good strategy and may have a good impact on the drunk driving and speeding situations on the road every day.”
The Commissioner further explained that in excess of 50% of the serious crimes annually were accounted for by ‘A’ Division, which therefore receives the biggest chunk of resources.
Apart from the $400,000 that was awarded to the Division, the Commissioner also awarded Sergeant Brush the sum of $25,000 for the display of resilience and endurance towards his duties.
Meanwhile, Commander of ‘A’ Division Clifton Hicken, reflecting on this year’s work, said that through the crime fighting strategy there has been a decrease in all areas of serious crimes with the exception of robberies. He also lauded the Community Policing Groups and stakeholders for their support throughout the year.
Best Cop
Sergeant 16036 Herbert Henry walked away with the Division’s Best Cop award. Henry who is stationed at the West Ruimveldt Police Station was commended for his work in the force.
Throughout the year, he investigated numerous high-profile matters including nine murders and several armed robberies, possession of firearm and ammunition and attempted murder.
His prizes include cash, a trophy, a plaque and an all-inclusive trip to the Arrow Point Resort and the Kaieteur Falls, compliments of Roraima Airways.
The runner-up was Constable 22279 Trotz, who also received a cash prize, along with a bicycle from National Hardware, and a television from Courts.
