Top Cop, ELT Receive Courtesy Visit from U.S. Embassy’s Political Chief (ag)

Earlier today, the Acting Political Chief of the U.S. Embassy, Mr. Henry Rector, paid a courtesy visit to the Top Cop, Mr. Clifton Hicken, at the Commissioner’s Conference Room in Eve Leary. Accompanied by Deputy Commissioner ‘Administration’ (ag) Mr. Ravindradat Budhram, Assistant Commissioner ‘Operations’ Mr. Errol Watts, and other senior officers, the visit marked the launch of the Better Police Readiness in Caribbean Law Enforcement Organizations (B-PRO) Project.

Funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and implemented by the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), the B-PRO Project aims to advance law enforcement practices across the Caribbean, with a focus on the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

The B-PRO initiative in Guyana is designed to:

• Strengthen the GPF’s organizational and administrative structures.
• Implement rigorous procedures for ethics, transparency, and accountability within the GPF’s Office of Professional Responsibility.
• Enhance the training and development of GPF officers through specialized courses and continuous learning opportunities.
• Improve the proficiency of GPF Criminal Investigation Department officers in managing criminal investigations.
• Equip the GPF academy with advanced tools for evaluating and assessing officer performance.

According to a report issued by the Guyana Police Force, the meeting also introduced three PADF experts who will conduct preliminary assessments with various GPF departments this week.

These experts include Christian Peterson, a data analytics and governance specialist, Jeffrey Shearer, a forensic evidence expert and certified crime scene analyst, and Dr. Robert Brzenchek, a law enforcement organizational management expert and nationally certified instructor.

Attendees also included U.S. Embassy INL Specialist Alana Bumbury-Walton, PADF Project Coordinator Wynette Oudkerk, Deputy Director Tonia Newton, and Woman Superintendents Nicola Kendall, Head of the Strategic Planning Unit for Police Reform, and Sonia Herbert, Director of the Guyana Police Force Academy.

The collaboration under the B-PRO Project is expected to significantly enhance the capabilities and operational efficiency of the Guyana Police Force, setting a new standard for law enforcement in the Caribbean region.