Govt. Provides 5,000 Body Cams to Police Force
May 6 2025- In a significant step toward enhancing law enforcement transparency and embracing technological advancement, President Dr. Irfaan Ali officially handed over 5,000 state-of-the-art body cameras to Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken today, during a ceremony at State House.
This initiative forms part of the government’s wider strategy to modernize the Guyana Police Force (GPF), and to improve accountability, efficiency, and public trust in law enforcement.
Describing the event as “simple but significant,” President Ali reiterated his administration’s commitment to building a more service-driven police force through the use of technology.
“We want the Guyana Police Force to be a service-oriented organization,” the President said. “A big part of improving service delivery is monitoring and evaluation, transparency and accountability… giving our police officers the tools to make their job easier, the tool that would allow them also to hold people accountable for their action.”
He highlighted the critical role that body cameras will play in ensuring both police and civilian conduct can be traced.
“There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever from the Guyana Police Force, for our men and women in the field not being equipped with these cameras when conducting their duties and responsibilities,” he stated.
President Ali also linked the initiative to broader technological integration across the security sector. “Today, we are implementing a series of cameras that help us not only measure speed but identify traffic violations… all roadways within the coming year will be equipped with those cameras and a full backup system that limits human interference.”
Technical details of the devices were outlined by Mr. Nurse from the GDF, who emphasized the cameras’ durability and advanced features.
“These are rugged cameras, which means they’re dust and waterproof up to six feet,” he noted. “They’re able to link with Wi-Fi networks as well as stream over LTE and 4G cellular networks. They can be used for five hours with the native battery and up to 10 hours with the extended battery, with a storage capacity of up to 256 gigabytes.”
He added that the cameras are designed for flexible use. “These cameras can be mounted on the uniform or in vehicles, and they will integrate seamlessly with the existing national surveillance system.”
Commissioner Hicken expressed appreciation for the government’s continued investment in law enforcement reform, while President Ali reiterated his administration’s dedication to supporting the police force through capacity-building efforts.
“I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to make this investment,” President Ali concluded. “We will continue to work with the Guyana Police Force in building capacity and capability. Training our men and women in uniform in a service-oriented way, in a way in which the experience between the citizenry and the Guyana Police Force can be developed into one of trust and confidence.”
“We have to work in a holistic way, in which the entire ecosystem is managed, upgraded, reformed, to the benefit of the people of our country.”
The rollout of 5,000 body cameras represents a major milestone in the government’s broader agenda of security sector reform.
It accompanies a range of modernization initiatives including mobile command units, enhanced roadside surveillance, and expanded officer training programs aligned with international standards.
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