•  President Jagdeo

President Jagdeo and Felix disbanded Target Special Squad

The Guyana Police Force is expected to be better able to combat the crime situation with the addition of 600 new recruits, who will work in the communities in which they live.

This was revealed on Saturday by President Bharrat Jagdeo during his address to several leaders of Hindu organisations at State House following his hosting of ‘Diwali Utsav'.

“This group of policemen would be a different category. They would be paid by the state but they would not be living out of their village. What we are trying to have is two from each community. The villages should identify who these people should be. They will be trained and based all year round in their villages. They are not going to be transferred nor do they have to go to the station to work. They would work in their village,” President Jagdeo said.

The Head of State added that he is hoping that by having these policemen stationed in their villages, they would help to solve some of the petty issues that often arise.

“They can also help to mobilize the community policing groups since they would be the stable presence. That is why I am requesting the community's help to select these people,” the President said.

Speaking about the police response to drug addicts in communities around the country, the President said that he has been pressing the police force to act on this matter.

‘They go after the big drug dealers and that's necessary but within our own society there is neglect police action. They don't need a huge intelligence apparatus to know where the drug houses are…I am sure because our communities are so small people know the places,” the President said.

He added that he constantly urges the police force to raid drug houses as often as possible in order to make that type of business unprofitable.

“Unless we tackle these drug houses…these guys who are numerous are going to do all kinds of crime in communities to support their habit.”

The President added that on the other hand more resources are needed for the rehabilitation of these drug addicts.

“Salvation Army is the only group that does rehabilitation. I have said publicly that I am prepared to support any NGO with a subvention if they are to get involved in these things. We opened a place for the street people, putting in over a hundred beds…a place where they could have a meal and shower but the public servants who are running it go home at 04:30 in the afternoons.

“We need to get these people off the streets in the nights. Obviously it cannot be managed by the state…it is better to be managed by the NGO's,” President Jagdeo said.