The Guyana Police Force (GPF) is expected to see changes in the new year and ranks from Constables to Assistant Commissioners will be retrained to meet existing challenges, acting Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken has said.
“Expect to see changes in the force in the new year… Come next year from Constables to Assistant Commissioner will be retrained to meet the challenges that is demanded by members of the public,” Hicken said while delivering address at the Region 4A end of year thanksgiving and awards ceremony on Friday afternoon.
He said modernisation must happen to ensure transparency and accountability.
“If we are to remain transparent, professional and accountable, it is only obvious that we have to put mechanisms in place to ensure that rules, regulations and policies are maintained,” Hicken said.
Among other the changes expected is the renaming of the GPF to the Guyana Police Service and the Felix Austin Police College to the Police Academy.
In terms of capacity building, Hicken noted that the emphasis will be plac-ed on training and mentorship, particularly for junior ranks who interact with members of the public on a daily basis. “Inevitably, whatever attitude is displayed out there, that will affect the entire Guyana Police Force and so special emphasis will be placed on training and mentorship from next year,” he said.
Also, the capacity of the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) will also be strengthened through both local and regional training, Hicken said.
“We are going to ensure that at the central level and at the decentralised level we build capacity through our strategic department so we can adequately measure our performance when we are serving members of the public,” he further added.
To better prepare ranks for the future, Hicken stated that ranks will be rotated to different divisions throughout the country. “…The Guyana Police Force will have rotation which is a management tool to build efficiency in anyone. So if you are rotated, while the efficiency is being built, you can better serve members of the public but we are preparing you for other positions,” he said.
