| If you ask anyone who has been in Guyana for all of the past year, that person will tell youHome Affairs Minister Clement Rohee seems to be taking in the advice of his predecessor Ronald Gajraj, following his end of year presentation at the police officers’ training centre yesterday.that it was a year that saw police excesses, a high murder rate, gun related crimes and record number of road fatalities which threatened public trust in policing.But Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee has described the recently concluded year as uneventful and relatively successful for law enforcement agencies.The past year saw a 10 percent increase in robbery under arms and a road fatality figure that outnumbers last year’s by a staggering 34 deaths.But again the Home Affairs Minister maintained that peace and good order prevailed. The safety and security of the general population has improved significantly,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, he added.In what sounded like a typical budget debate presentation,Cheap Jerseys NFL China, Rohee spent close to two hours painting a glowing picture of the Guyana Police Force and the work of his Ministry.He spoke of improved training for the Police and the much touted reform process that is currently underway within the organization.He acknowledged that there will be critics and cynics, not to mention the prophets of doom and gloom, who he said have established themselves through their writings in the print media.“When I hear the usual suspects criticizing the law enforcement agencies, I invite them to support the reforms currently underway at the Guyana Police Force. Sometimes I get the impression that the critics do not want reform. In this regard, their actions speak louder than their words,” Rohee told a packed auditorium at the Police Officers’ Training Centre, while presenting an overview of his Ministry’s performance for 2014.According to the Minister, criticisms of his Ministry, and the law enforcement agencies that fall under it, are political in nature, notwithstanding the pretences at “wanting an improved security situation in our country”.He referred to a recent police press release which chided opposition political parties for using the Force as a political tool.Rohee also lashed out at sections of the media which,Jerseys From China, he said, are sacrificing objectivity for sensationalism“The Kaieteur News while pretending to be a friend of the police force pays enormous sums for leaks, while the Stabroek News is always on the lookout for potential stellar performance awardees but never finding any in the security sector,” he said.Other media houses compete and jostle with each other to paint the gloomiest and crime-riddled picture of the situation in Guyana, he added.He said that while the crime situation in Guyana must not be hidden,Discount NFL Jerseys, the sensationalizing of these issues on the front pages of the local newspapers all year round hurts the law enforcement agencies.Rohee said that the media houses mentioned consider it their duty to do more since it rakes in more profits in terms of newspaper sales.“The end result of this analysis,Soccer Jerseys China, therefore, is that we have in our country deeply prejudiced and profit driven media houses, who for their own selfish interest view the security sector as a golden goose whose dropping must be exploited fully,” the Minister said.Mention was made of the unprecedented complex task of police reform, which according to Rohee was never undertaken in the 175-year history of the Guyana Police Force.He said that this process, which addresses operational deficiency and organizational cultural reforms,Cheap China Jerseys, is not only a step in the right direction,Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys, but is an indication of a commitment on the part of his Ministry, which is dedicated to bringing the Guyana Police Force in line with modern global policing.“Ultimately, it is for the Commissioner, the Crime Chief and the subordinate ranks to determine how best to achieve this…not the Minister or Public Servants. I consider it my duty to challenge the police to improve and insist that they continually challenge themselves,” the Minister stated.Rohee spoke of the non-cooperation of the political opposition in implementing certain changes in the security sector.He referred to the Opposition’s nonsupport for the changing of the name of the Guyana Police Force to the Guyana Police Service.Of course the Opposition’s stance stemmed from their No Confidence Motion that was passed against the Minister of Home Affairs.But despite this, Rohee and his Ministry are not sitting back and admiring their achievements.He said that they certainly understand the nature of the security sector and are constantly analyzing trends and developing initiatives to treat with emerging challenges.“Notwithstanding, I wish to place on record my deep appreciation to the hard working staff of my Ministry who have supported me in the implementation of policy decisions relating to the Sector.“I wish to thank also our local and international partners who provided us with much needed support. In 2015 the Ministry as well as its constituents Departments will continue working with its partners to ensure that the service we provide to the general public is efficient and effective, ultimately improving on the results of 2014 and the preceding years,” the Minister said.He appealed to citizens to come on board and work with the Ministry in a genuine effort to preserve the safety and security of Guyana. |
