11 out of 12 Police Commanders declare readiness for elections

Commissioner of Police Leslie James

As the Joint Services prepare for voting on Friday 21, February ahead of the rest of the population who will be heading to the polls on March 02, 2020, eleven of the twelve Regional Commanders have indicated that their divisions are ready to deal with any eventuality in the lead-up, during and after these polls.

Commanders of Regional Divisions 1, 2, 3, 4 (A, B, C) 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 have all indicated that the necessary systems are in place. Commander of Regional Division 5, Superintendent Yonette Stephens could not immediately speak on her division’s readiness for the polls.

“I don’t want to be the person answering those questions, Deputy Commissioner Operations should be because we have to report directly to her. Just let me clarify it and then I will call you back on it ok?” the Commander stated.

Several subsequent calls were made to the commander and when she finally answered, she indicated that her she was in a meeting but that her position remains the same that all her information has to be channeled through the central command base (Georgetown) and again requested that this publication speaks with Deputy Commissioner Operations. Calls to the Deputy Commissioner Operations also went unanswered. Commissioner of Police Leslie James is on recording as stating that Divisional Commanders could speak to with the press on matters relating to their respective divisions.

The question posed to all commanders on their readiness for the polls, both Joint Services and the general population spoke specifically to availability of adequate riot gears for police officers as well as meals and accommodation for the ranks since the force is expected to be inline from February 28, 2020.

There have been times in the past where ranks who are required to be inline would complain of either being forced to operate under conditions not fit for human inhibition and not being feed properly.

Over the last few months, the Guyana Police Force has however renovated several living quarters and barracks room at various stations and commanders who we spoke with this morning have indicated that everything is in order to cater to ranks wellbeing.

We have been told that with respect to meals, those logistics have already been worked out and that they are awaiting the release of monies from force administration to address that aspect of the readiness.

The Guyana Police Force did handle the Local Government elections incident-free in 2018 and there is a high expectation by the commanders we spoke with today, that these national and regional elections would be no different.

With respect to Joint service voting, BIG Smith News Watch reached out to Commissioner of Police Leslie James, Chief of Staff Patrick West and Director of Prison Gladwin Samuels.

“What I can tell you is that we have been working with GECOM and we are prepared for voting” The Top Cop noted.

“I have the responsibility to grant the officers time to vote and that has been put in place but we cannot control whether or not they will go to the poll. We have been working with GECOM and have had training sessions were GECOM reminded some of them on how to vote, so it comes down to personal choice” Director of Prison Gladwin Samuels noted

Head of the army Patrick West related that the Guyana Defence Force would be issuing a statement on the matter ‘soon’