Former Police Commissioner and now APNU MP on public safety, Winston Felix told the National Assembly last Friday that bribery and corruption were rampant features in the Guyana Police Force.
He said the connection between lack of pay and corruption needs to be addressed.
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee
Noting that “crime is an ever present feature in every country”, Felix told his fellow parliamentarians the police, however, have to be dynamic and realise that “incidents of crimes are not reducing”.
He said that an increase in the salaries of lawmen was necessary so “as to attract the brightest young minds from the top secondary schools in the country” and tackle corruption.
Bribery and corruption are rampant in the Guyana Police Force (GPF), because “salaries are so small”, Felix stated.
The former commissioner said the financial burden officers face in their everyday lives is debilitating.
Felix said that in extreme cases, it is inadequate pay that encourages police to participate in “drug trafficking networks to get rich quick”. Felix added that the cut in allowances also contributes to dishonesty within the GPF. He said the police and fire departments both need a massive influx of financial support.
He stated that cutting allowances and failing to adequately pay the security services are appalling occurrences in a society that is actively working to curb criminal elements.
He declared that shortages of manpower also create disenchantment in the Guyana Police Force, noting that the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) was handicapped. “Cocaine has been found in rum, rice, pumpkin and lumber”, and Guyana’s reputation in the developed world, as a result, has been tarnished.
He pointed out that the prevalence of illegal guns on the black market is overwhelming; and since the crime spree in the early 2000s, the government has failed to ensure that these weapons are removed from the streets.
He then called on the government to readdress the needs of the fire service within Guyana, and asked that a recommendation be made in regards to equipping firemen with “appropriate respiratory and body protection”.
However, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee said that the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Prison Services and the Guyana Fire Service are being impacted by transformative processes.
He stated that the Finance Ministry, via the budget, has been contributing to the transformation of the security sector with a “dollar for dollar… investment in public safety and security”. The 2012 budget has showcased that security is one of the most prominent issues, as the security sector received the third largest allocation, over Gy$ 16 billion, nine per cent of the budget, the minister said.
Rohee defended his right as minster to restructure the Home Affairs Ministry. He stated that under his watch serious crime has been reduced significantly, pointing out that between 2001 and 2011 serious crimes have been reduced by 23 per cent.
Castigating the opposition for their “political posturing”, the minister said while the opposite side of the house has multiple issues with the budget, no one has offered any changes that can be easily identified and implemented.
