The Guyana Police Force (GPF) received a total of 1,692 domestic violence reports during last year, Commissioner of Police (ag) Nigel Hoppie has disclosed.
Out of the reports, he said 814 cases were made with a corresponding amount of persons being charged.
Hoppie made the disclosure on Thursday during his remarks at the Annual Officers’ Conference.
He explained that domestic violence units have been established at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary and in every policing region throughout the country.
Additionally, Hoppie said ranks are currently being trained under the COPSQUAD 2000 initiative launched by the Ministry of Human Service and Social Security.
“This augments the institutionalized training being doing at the Felix Austin Training College and is in order to ensure that such matters are handled with the required level of seriousness and urgency and in a manner that accords [with] international best practice,” Hoppie explained.
Under the COPSQUAD 2000 initiative, a total of 2,000 policemen and women are being trained on how to assess and deal with reports of domestic violence.
Upon the successful completion of the training, ranks are outfitted with a badge which will help victims to easily identity the ranks they are reporting to.
In December last year, Attorney General Anil Nandlall had announced plans to revamp the domestic violence laws and related legislation and to rollout 24-hour units to help abuse victims.
Nandlall had said that the Domestic Violence Act and Sexual Offences Act are among the legislation that would be overhauled this year.
He had made the announcements at the opening of Domestic Violence Interview and Virtual Hearing Rooms at seven courts within the Berbice Magisterial District.
