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Dec 23, 2010 News
Although it continues to fulfil its mandate as an enforcer of the bylaws in the city, part of which includes ensuring that persons are arrested daily and placed before the courts for indictable and summary matters, it yet operates with many challenges.
This is according to Chief Constable Andrew Foo, who noted that despite the fact that the Constabulary is a law enforcement agency and it has Common Law powers of arrest as well as statutory powers of arrest, the entity’s mode of operation is constricted.
One of the challenges Foo related is based on the regular late payment of salaries on the part of the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown, which has over time resulted in a high turnover rate of staff within the constabulary.
“Members of staff, when they are not paid on time, would tend to seek other places of employment where they are guaranteed that at the end of the month they will be paid a salary and honour their financial commitments.”
This state of affairs, Foo added, has also proven to be a disincentive, which manifests through the few young people would not opt to join the constabulary.
Another issue is that of uniforms to ensure that they are properly attired so that their presence is felt.
“We do have persons, but based on the fact that they are not uniformed and are not visible this is a major challenge in itself.” The lack of a facility for officers who have been trained but have to travel great distances has also served to dissuade them from remaining in the service.
Nonetheless, he said that the efforts are continually being made to recruit new staff and applications coming in on a regular basis. According to Foo some persons have already come forward to indicate their interest in being a part of the constabulary.
“Of all members of the organisations who would have left with clean records,
a few have given indications and I have given them a commitment that in keeping with their records to have them back.”
Foo further revealed that the majority of the applicants are women thus the need for the Constabulary to engage measures to strike a balance since the nature of the work is policing and confrontations are likely to occur in the attempts to make arrest.
For this reason he said that efforts would have to be made to examine closely applicants that are on file to ensure that the deficiency is addressed. The constabulary is also relying on advertisements in the print media, Foo said.
He highlighted the fact that vacancies exist within the organisation.
Currently the resources of the Constabulary which has a complement of 178 sworn officers, 100 shy of its ideal manpower strength, is challenged to manage the vending situation in the city.
Although there are security guards attached to the Constabulary who are charged with securing the 39 locations of council, enforcing of the bylaws is carried out by an Enforcement Unit, Foo disclosed.
Due to the limited capacity, he said that there are mainly about 12 persons that are allotted at one time to the Unit to patrol the city. “Our numbers would not allow for the sort of visibility you would see in terms of officers from the Guyana Police Force. They have the numbers and so they have persons planted at almost each and every corner in the city. “
In the past, the Chief Constable revealed that the Constabulary had the strength that could allow for officers to be on static beats and foot patrol, stressing that the current situation does not allow for that reality.
But in recognition of the fact that the festive season will bring with it an increase of criminal elements at some of the prime shopping areas, including the municipal markets, Foo disclosed that an additional number of ranks have been committed to boosting the security arrangements.
“We have placed a small number of ranks in plain clothes on the streets and around the markets. They are also working to ensure that the stallholders who are legal tenants of the council are given a certain degree of protection.”
It is expected that at least 100 of the 178 sworn officers will be committed to bolstering the security of the city over the holidays. Mobile patrols will also be increased around the city, he added.
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