Rohee receives new plan for a modernised police force

After almost a year of consultations and planning, UK consultant agency Capita Symonds on Thursday presented to the Home Affairs Ministry the final draft of the strategic plan for the modernisation of the Guyana Police Force.

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, briefly addressing the media, explained that the document, which containes more than 500 pages, is key to the institutional modernising of the Guyana Police Force. He explained that consultations were conducted on a unilateral and bilateral level between the Guyana Police Force, the Home Affairs Ministry and Capita Symonds. He explained that once the document is reviewed and accepted by the government of Guyana, the details of the plan would be made public.

“This is part of the government’s commitment to move forward with the Citizens’ Security Programme within the model of its three main components: the Guyana Police Force, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the community policing,” Rohee said. He expressed gratitude to Capita Symonds, and announced that the plan would soon be at the stage of implementation.

Assistant Police Commissioner Leroy Brummel, speaking on behalf of Commissioner Henry Greene, who was absent, simply mentioned that the GPF was honoured to have been a part of the team during the consultations. “We are glad that the government is looking at our interest, and we are working with zeal to push forward with the agenda of institutional modernisation of the GPF.”

Brummel also explained that training of ranks in certain areas has already commenced and this will be increased only after the plan is implemented.

Director of Capita Symonds, Simon Reeves, explained that a lot of hard work was put into the compilation of the plan, and stated that it was an honour to work with the stakeholders. Work for the project was started in May last year, and now that it is completed, Reeves commended the GPF for their openness during the consultations. “The Guyana Police Force has been very welcoming and supportive throughout the entire process. This plan aims at taking the police force forward, and consists of a realistic and relevant agenda. We look forward to seeing it implemented.”

Capita Symonds is one of the UK’s largest multifaceted consultancies, delivering property and infrastructure projects on a local, national and international scale. It specialises in a vast amount of areas, including security. Its strategy in security consultancy includes the development of relevant security strategies, examining how crime can be ‘designed’ out at the earliest stages of a project, through to the provision of appropriate and relevant physical and electronic measures to handle residual risks.

Over the years, there have been several recommendations for the modernisation of the security sector here, some of which have not been implemented.

Among some of those reports was the Disciplined Forces Commission report. Chaired by Justice Ian Chang, that report is regarded as one of the most comprehensive studies and sets of recommendations done on the security forces.

Established in June 2003, the commission was tasked with inquiring into the disciplined forces — the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Prison Service and the Guyana Fire Service, and all their branches, departments and units; focusing and making recommendations for their reform, sustained professional development, and structure.

The commission was asked to pay particular attention to the changing context of the operations of the disciplined forces, taking into consideration national and international developments; the disciplined forces’ relationship with and responsibility to the civilian authorities; the methods and processes of achieving greater ethnic balance; operational efficiency and effectiveness, including inter-service cooperation and collaboration; and financial and public accountability.

In addition to Chang, Attorney General Charles Ramson, attorney Anil Nandlall, Brigadier (rtd) David Granger and Maggie Bierne of Ireland were the other members of the Disciplined Forces Commission.