Police force not starved for funds – Rohee

…says Felix’s, Granger’s criticisms misplaced

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee on November 3 said that the current administration has made big investments in the security forces. He rubbished criticism by former Police Chief Winston Felix and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) presidential candidate David Granger that the police force had inadequate resources to fight the range of crimes this country faces.

Speaking at a media briefing at Freedom House, the headquarters of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Rohee, accompanied by state attorney Anil Nandlall, said the current administration has spent more resources on the Guyana Police Force

(GPF) since it came into office than the People’s National Congress (PNC).

Felix was quoted in the November 1 edition of the Stabroek News as saying that the image of the GPF needs to be improved, while noting that there needs to be an increase in salaries, manpower and tools if crime were to be tackled effectively. The former police chief said the force is in need of reform so that a better relationship can be fostered between the force and citizens.

Rohee, however, asked, “What did Mr Felix do when he was commissioner to tackle these problems?” The home affairs minister said the government has done far more than what the PNC had done during its 28 years in office.

He added that in 1992, the PPP/C government allocated some Gy$589 million to the police force and more specifically, while Felix was commissioner during the period 2004 and 2007, there was an increase in allotted funds.

According to Rohee, the police force received Gy$2.9 billion in 2004, Gy$3.1 billion in 2005, Gy$3.6 billion in 2006 and Gy$4.5 billion in 2007.

He stressed that government is “providing increasingly, resources for law enforcement in Guyana. The minister said whether value for money is being received should be determined by the public. “Whether we are receiving value for money that is a matter of perception,” he said, noting that “the crime situation has been under control for a number of years”.

In the area of land and water transport, the GPF received Gy$29 million in 1992, Gy$60 million in 2004, Gy$84 million in 2005, Gy$89 million in 2006, and Gy$125 million currently was allocated for the same purpose. “So it boggles the mind for a former commissioner of police to make such imprecise statements and to make them in public, when there are facts and statistics from the MOHA that can demolish these views that have been expressed,” he stated.