With 40 days until Christmas, the GPF yesterday pledged increased boots on the ground and acknowledged that murders are up this year by 23.1% compared to the same period last year.
Presenting the annual Christmas policing plan, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum in a PowerPoint presentation highlighted that from January 1- November 13, 2023 murders amounted to 133 as compared to 108 in 2022. This translates into a 23.1% increase.
Armed robbery witnessed a significant dip as numbers recorded for 2023 and 2022 were 319 and 415 respectively.
Break and Enter and Larceny recorded 362 incidents thus far for 2023 as compared to 432 last year.
There were 182 rapes this year compared to 206 the previous year.
To date, 14 police ranks have been charged with various criminal offences which included
simple larceny, larceny by public officer, conspiracy to obstruct the course of justice, assault, causing bodily harm by wanton driving, obstructing the course of justice, corruption and trafficking in narcotics.
188 persons were charged for cannabis possession thus far for the year 2023 while 26 were charged for cocaine possession.
Christmas policing posture
The Crime Chief said that there will be a robust presence at choke points, check points and border locations and increase deployment at the Cheddi Jagan International & Ogle Airports.
He added that ranks will be recalled from their vacation leave on December 1, 2023 and a team of highly trained investigators from the Major Crimes Investigation Unit (MCIU) will always be on standby to be dispatched to any police region to investigate very serious and complicated cases of murders or other serious offences, and recruits will be deployed to the various divisions to bolster the complement of ranks.
Blanhum also informed that the Guyana Police Force is expected to increase the deploy-ment of boots on the ground including both uniformed and plainclothes ranks during the day and night, from Mondays to Sundays during the festive season, increase deployment of anti-crime patrols where fully operational Police booths will be located at various locations across the 12 police Regions especially in the main shopping districts.
Additionally, there will be a deployment of the Marine Patrol, Mounted Patrol and Canine Patrol, Publication of Safety Tips to the General Public by the ‘Corporate Communications Unit’ (CCU), Deployment of police patrols to police hot spots especially during peak hours, Identification of suspicious known characters at busy shopping areas, commercial banks, car parks and nightspots to act as a deterrent and briefing the business community on security strategies to keep customers safe.
Meanwhile Assistant Com-missioner Simon McBean during his presentation said that Regional Division # 4 ‘A’s Annual Christmas Policing activities will commence on 15th November 2023 and conclude on 15th January 2024.
Mc Bean disclosed that Regional Division 4 A will be divided into fifteen sectors, consisting of foot, bicycle, vehicular, marine, canine and mounted and drone patrols. Each sector will be commanded by an Officer /Inspector along with adequate ranks.
Special arrangements will be implemented to facilitate late shopping on Christmas and New Year’s Eve followed by heightened intelligence-led operations.
