British security expert, Lt Col (ret’d) Russell Combe says that the stage has been set for reform of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and has urged the establishment of a cross-government department to deliver the suite of measures proposed.
Combe, who worked here under a British-funded programme as a Senior Security Sector Reform Advisor, left Guyana on 1st April at the end of his contractual period. He recently provided Stabroek News with a statement to mark the conclusion of his more than two years of work here. Among other things, Combe played a major role in the Security Sector Reform Report, which he handed over to President David Granger on January 18th last year.
He informed that during his final few months here, a financial review into the funding of the GPF was done, as well as a police media-handling consultancy with training, and a review of the GPF’s Strategic Management Plan (SMP). A draft revised SMP was handed over to the police on 25th February 2019, he said.
He also highlighted that the final support regarded the need for a strategic maritime safety and security policy which was completed in March this year. The reports from each of these strands of the United Kingdom (UK)-funded work have been submitted to the government for further consideration. It is expected that action by appropriate bodies with a vested interest in the areas concerned, will take place as soon as possible. “I have repeatedly promoted the methodology for doing so,” he said.
Combe pointed out that the status of these reports and the other UK-funded consultancies and activities that have occurred recently, have been captured in a review document and submitted to the government. This, he said, should assist with monitoring the progress of the various pieces of work completed.
This ‘tracker’ document, Combe explained, includes the work completed since January 2017, from his initial assessment in March 2017, his Interim Report in July 2017, the training of the Police’s Strategic Planning Unit in September 2017 and the review on the police’s maritime capability as well as the submission of the final Security Sector Reform Report delivered to Granger on 18th January 2018, a year after his work here commenced.
The reform report, he informed, recommended the establishment of a number of working groups to consider specific areas of the police that are in need of reform. “Accepting the effective hiatus that had prevailed until the appointment of the current Commissioner of Police, it is encouraging to know that these areas identified for reform are now being considered by the Executive Leadership Team of the police,” Combe added.
Cross-government
The security expert highlighted that the very first recommendation of his final report was to establish a cross-government department to deliver the reform necessary. He noted that it was encouraging to hear the President announce to the National Assembly on 2nd November 2017 that the government would establish such a department during 2018.
“I very much hope this will be put in place soon; as it is a vital part of the Security Sector Reform process,” Combe emphasised.
Noting that he is an optimist, he said that the recent establishment of the Police Reform Change Board (PRCB), arising from the international consultancy work under the Citizen Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP), is another encouraging and important development. The programme, he explained, creates a Ministry of Public Security forum responsible for issuing ‘direction, guidance, monitoring and support’ to the Police Executive Leadership Team (ELT), now established. He informed that he had proposed to the president that, when appointed, the Director of the Security Sector Reform Department should become a member of the PRCB.
The inaugural meeting of the PRCB on 20th March 2019, principally to agree on its Terms of Reference, also agreed to propose to the government that the name, the Guyana Police Force, change to the Guyana Police Service, Combe said. “I am sure members of the public are aware (that) this is a long outstanding proposal and is one the Commissioner of Police has already raised and supports,” he said, pointing out that the police’s motto after all is, ‘Service and Protection’.
Such a change may be a “small step and viewed cynically by some, but I believe it sends a positive message that reform is now underway. I remain optimistic that it is, but time will tell,” Combe said.
The security expert also noted that the PRCB is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate that the police reform process is ongoing and improvements are taking place. Whilst empowered to effect change within the GPF, through the ELT, the PCRB should also serve as a mechanism for engagement across the government, when other ministries will need to assist the police reform process, he said.
There will only be so much the PRCB will be able to do itself hence the need to establish the Security Sector Reform department as soon as possible, which then should take forward integrating the implementation of the reform required, including those already established, Combe added.
Further, he related to Stabroek News that “it was good to learn” that the longstanding ‘Inter-Agency Task Force on Piracy’, chaired by the Commissioner of Police, is to change its Terms of Reference in order to be authorised to deal with all maritime matters. This he described as a positive development and expressed hope that the Task Force will consider the UK consultancy report on the police’s marine capability, submitted to the government back on 5th December 2017, and the recently completed work on the requirements for a government strategic maritime safety and security policy.
The security expert said that since his arrival in January 2017, he has always publicly recognised the many excellent reform initiatives already initiated by the police, and that many recommendations from previous UK-funded support to the police remains applicable. Combined with the work under the CSSP and the recommendations in his reform report, there should be “every expectation” that reform and the other changes necessary within the police should now occur, he said.
The Commission of Inquiry into the Public Service of Guyana, which includes the Guyana Police Force, was completed in May 2016 and having discussed the report with the author, Professor Harold Lutchman, the “detailed and comprehensive” document needs to be analysed, costed and implemented, Combe further said.
“This is a good example of reform being tackled, but which has unfortunately stalled, because of no lead being taken in developing the follow on action required to cost and develop an implementation plan from the report’s conclusions and recommendations,” he posited.
Combe used the opportunity to recognise those who provided support to him during his time in Guyana, inclusive of the government, the disciplined services, civil society, the British High Commission and all the international actors in Guyana supporting security service reform.
He thanked the “long suffering staff” provided throughout his tenure by the Ministry of the Presidency including the diligent and reliable secretary Omara Williams, and the driver, Corporal Julian Beckles from the Presidential Guard.
