| … findings reveal need for greater police/community communicationStakeholders yesterday met and validated the findings of the Enhanced Public Trust, Security and Inclusion (EPTSI) project baseline study that was funded by the United Nations Development Fund and undertaken by the University of the West Indies.The stakeholders included policy makers, among them Government Minister’s Clement Rohee, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, Manzoor Nadir and Kellawan Lall.They also included religious leaders, representatives of Non Governmental Organisations and members of civil society.Following opening remarks by the UNDP, EPTSI Project Director, Trevor Clark,Authentic Victor Oladipo Thunder Jersey, Government representative,Bojan Bogdanovic Nets Swingman Jersey, Gail Teixeira, and Dr Mark Kirton, the stakeholders broke into groups to assess the report to decide its merits as well as scrutinise the findings and recommendations.The survey dealt specifically with skills training, security and conflict, domestic violence, the media and penetration of public services among others.Upon reporting back, the groups welcomed the recommendations put forward in the report. They concluded that it would be useful if the findings were to assist in shaping Government policies aimed at tackling the issues under review.The baseline survey conducted by UWI adopted a quantitative methodology with a random sample of 1040 persons. It was designed by the Guyana Bureau of Statistics.This sample surveyed was spread across 52 districts within Regions Three, Four, Five, Six and Ten.The sample was subsequently increased to 1090 with the addition of two districts from among Amerindian villages/communities so as to ensure that data was captured from the Amerindian community in the sample.Among the villages surveyed were Turkeyen, Den Amstel, Rosignol, Mibicuri, Land of Canaan, Lodge,Authentic Dirk Nowitzki Mavericks Jersey, Buxton,Nicolas Batum Hornets Swingman Jersey, Lusignan, La Grange, Ankerville,Authentic Jeremy Lin Nets Jersey, Fort Ordinance,Authentic Tobias Harris Pistons Jersey, Canje,Nicolas Batum Hornets Jersey, New Calcutta, Kilcoy and Kwakwani. A total of 54 districts were surveyed.On the issue of skills training,Anthony Davis USA Jersey, the survey discovered that generally, 29 per cent of the sample had knowledge of skill training programmes in the regions while only 24 per cent of the overall sample previously participated in these programmes.Training programmes were given a consistent rating of very good across all the regions and percentage of persons who were successful in obtaining post training employment in regions ranged from 60 per cent to 66 per cent.The dominant reason for not finding employment that made use of the training received was ‘Lack of readiness for employment’; this was followed by ‘Shortage of Job Opportunities’ and Inadequate Qualifications in that order’.On Security and Conflict, the survey determined that the overall sample rated their communities as ‘Relatively Safe’ with only 18 per cent of the overall sample agreed that the incidence of crime in their communities was high.Theft was identified as the type of crime that occurs most frequently in communities.Overall, 67 per cent of victims of crime made reports to the Guyana Police Force and according to the data retrieved, 36 per cent of crime victims did not report crimes to the Guyana Police Force because they view members of the Police Force as lacking in professionalism.A further 30 per cent indicated that the effort required to make a report to the police is not worth the time.While 52 per cent of the sample was confident that the Guyana Police Force is there to protect them, there was general consensus that the role of the Guyana Police force is to ‘Protect citizens and maintain a safe environment’.Overall, 71 per cent of the sample agreed that there should be more communication and information sharing between the security forces and the community.While 51 per cent of the sample held the view that crime had not affected the unity/togetherness in their communities, a similar percentage held the view that ‘Little but not enough’ was being done in terms of ensuring public security and safety,Authentic Nicolas Batum Hornets Jersey, 19 per cent thought that ‘very much’ was being done while 13 per cent felt nothing was being done.Overall, 76 per cent of the sample reported that no collective security arrangements currently exist in their communities and some 87 per cent of the sample share the view that their communities would benefit from such an arrangement.On the issue of Domestic Violence, 67 per cent of the sample reported that it was not prevalent in their community but the definition of the phenomena as was used by the survey team was questioned by the participants.The majority of respondents, according to the survey, identified ‘Sensitising and educating the community’ as the method by which domestic violence should be dealt with in the community.Stronger enforcement of the law by police and swift justice was the second most popular method suggested.Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, in his closing remarks at the workshop thanked the participants as well and the initiators of the survey, adding that there have long been suspicions on the findings of the report. It is good to have it scientifically documented, he said. |
