Latest update April 24th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 29, 2015 News
The police reform process has encountered rough waters with Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee expressing frustration and disgust at the
apparent lack of commitment shown by the Guyana Police Force.
This newspaper was reliably informed that the Minister recently aborted a meeting with the police reform team, which comprises senior police officers and members of the Strategic Management Department, citing frustration at the pace at which the process is being advanced.
The Home Affairs Minister is reportedly angry at the apparent difficulty the Force Administration has with implementing several recommendations coming out of consultants’ surveys and audits that were paid for by the state.
According a senior officer, who did not wish to be named, some of these recommendations are as result of exercises commissioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs aimed at ensuring that the Guyana Police Force evolves into a modern democratic police service.
Well placed sources at the Ministry of Home Affairs told Kaieteur News that Rohee has repeatedly expressed his frustration at the lethargic pace at which the Strategic Plan is being implemented by the police themselves despite the efforts of the Strategic Management Department (SMD).
The SMD is overseeing the implementation of the Guyana Police Force’s five-year strategic plan geared towards reforming the law enforcement body.
“The Reform process appears to be in serious trouble and this could make the Minister look terrible, and certainly he
would have none of it,” said a source, who is a part of the police Reform team.
“The man has been asking questions and the response he is getting is not heartening,” the source added.
Last year, the Ministry of Home Affairs had defended the SMD in what appeared to be its strained relationship with the Guyana Police Force, blaming the law enforcement agency for its lack of cohesion with its civilian counterparts in the Reform process.
The Home Affairs Ministry had noted that since the establishment of the SMD, several interventions have been made which would lead to positive change in the way the Police Force operates.
However, “these interventions will be in vain and doomed to failure in the absence of ownership and the demonstrated commitment of the entire process on the part of the Guyana Police Force,” the Ministry had said.
“The police seem to be always shooting down the recommendations made by the SMD and this is resulting in a lack of progress,” the source at the Ministry told this newspaper.
But this position contrasts starkly with that of Commissioner of Police (Ag) Seelall Persaud, who during his presentation at last year’s Police Awards Ceremony, announced that the Strategic Plan is on track to meet the deadlines set for the execution of certain aspects within the first year of its implementation.
He outlined several initiatives that supported his assertion.
The Acting Commissioner had noted that the past year has been a different year for the Guyana Police Force since
the Strategic Plan by itself would have seen structural and cultural changes taking place within the organization.
However, this state of affairs, he said, has brought with it some challenges and excitement, while highlighting five priority areas that have been undertaken during this first phase of the plan.
Apart from the establishment of the SWAT unit, the other aspects that have been undertaken so far include partnerships building, the Cops and Faith initiative, a suicide hotline and electronic documentation.
But as far as the Reform Process goes, another cause for concern is the obvious lack of a coherent communications policy which would enable the rank and file to be informed of the direction of the Force.
This situation is not helped by the resistance by the top brass to engage the SMD in achieving the Ministry’s vision.
The autocratic style of some senior officers is being blamed for this to the extent where officers are reluctant to venture another opinion which is at variance to those expressed from on high and may stem from personality issues.
“This resistance on the part of the Force is more personal that any profound professional underpinning,” the Ministry source said.
Kaieteur News understands that Minister Rohee has had to tread cautiously in recent times because of accusations by the political opposition that he is interfering in the operational aspects of policing.
However, some officers are inclined to the view that it is better for some level of ministerial and stakeholder intervention, including from opposition parties if the current impasse is to be resolved.
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