Hoppie/ Hicken revives community engagements; Commanders to fan out
Assistant Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken greets Commissioner of Police Nigel Hoppie (in white)
The Guyana Police Force over the last few weeks emerged on an aggressive approach to re-engage community leaders, the business community, and other stakeholders as the organization seeks to revive its Social Crime Prevention Initiatives.
Assistant Commissioners Hicken and McBean meets Rosemary Lane (Tiger Bay), residents
The SCPI concept was introduced by former Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud which saw Divisional Commanders, senior officers, and other members of the force blending with the community and showing a softer side of law enforcement. The initiatives have in other countries and more recently in Guyana proven to be a way that law enforcement becomes more involved in social activities mixed with policing.
It allows for officers and ranks to be able to find solutions to issues in the community through networking as against seeking to prosecute on every level.
Commander Dion Moore on a familiarization walk-about in Region 7
Art and Craft, sports, pageantry, literacy, skills training and other areas of cooperation were activities which the force got communities and young people actively involved in but those quickly died when and the aggression towards rolling out those initiatives died a fast death after the former Top Cop Seelall Persaud retired from the force. The initiatives remained dead through two subsequent Commissioners of Police, David Ramnarine and Leslie James.
Now, Commissioner of Police acting Nigel Hoppie and Assistant Commissioner of Police Clifton seems to revitalize the Social Crime Prevention Initiatives with Divisional and Regional Commanders engaging the communities in ways not seen in recent times.
Commander Crystal Robinson meets with business operators in Region 2
But the social Crime Prevention Initiatives does have its grey area when it comes to the force and their ability to draw the line between law enforcers executing their duties and currying up with those in the business and civil community who contribute to these initiatives.
It is perceived that if a person who helps the force execute its social crime prevention initiative is caught up on the other side of the law, favors to that individual may be expected to be granted by law enforcers as a means of ‘thank you for your assistance with the social crime prevention initiatives’.
This, therefore brings to the fore, the need for central government through the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure parliamentary budgetary allocation to sustain the Social Crime Prevention Initiatives in order to reduce reliance on police officers begging the business community for cash and other resources to run these programs but rather become self-sufficient in its financing of these activities which reduces the opportunities for police officers to become agents of any one individual or external agency.
Commander Pareshram interacts with stakeholders in his division
Commissioner of Police Nigel Hoppie, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum, Assistant Commissioner Clifton Hicken, Assistant Commissioner Simon McBean, Commanders Edmond Cooper, Kali Paresram, Crystal Robertson and Dion Moore have already been conducting several community engagements within their respective span of control aimed at fostering increased public trust and confidence.
