By Svetlana Marshall

The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) wants a complete overhaul of Guyana’s security system, arguing that with the country transitioning into a petro-state, it is imperative for the Security Sector to be equipped to address existing, new and emerging threats.

Co-Leader of the Working People’s Alliance, Dr. David Hinds, at a press conference on Tuesday said the recent drug bust at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), which unearthed 146.9 pounds of cocaine, is part of a larger national security issue in the country.

Dr. Hinds said the Guyana Police Force is ill-equipped to properly monitor and patrol the country’s porous borders to effectively tackle transnational crimes.

 “When you take a country like Guyana which is not able to patrol its border, which does not have a police force that is equipped to deal with the demands of the flow of narcotics and other illicit activities, then we are in a crisis,” he said.

He said while the Government has invested heavily in the construction of roads and bridges, it has fallen short in building out a “security infrastructure” that matches the country’s rapidly growing economy, and the challenges that come with added wealth.

Dr Hinds said in revamping the security system, the Government must be committed to root out corruption, since he believes corruption is fueling crime in the country.

“We are not surprised at the constant and almost weekly drug busts. Our country is a corrupt country. Corruption runs deep in the society. It starts at the top and starts at the bottom. Bribery is part of the everyday life of Guyana, it is part of governance in Guyana, and so it is not surprising that people at the bottom of the illicit ladder, so to speak, are apprehended but those who control the system of illicit drugs and drug activities are let go because the fusion of the state and the criminal underworld is a part of life in Guyana,” Dr. Hinds said.

He said there needs to be a State of Emergency within the Security System, and all must be held accountable from those at the top of the ladder right down, including those at the helm of the Government and the Guyana Police Force.

“By state of emergency we mean that we have to admit that the system has reached the tipping point, and it has to stop. We are not talking about a reform of the system, we are not talking about tinkering with the security system, we are talking about admittance that the security system is broken, it has to be completely renovated,” Dr Hinds said.

In a recent interview with reporters, the newly appointed Minister of Home Affairs, Oneidge Walrond, said she was still assessing the country’s Security Sector.

However, she said she was pleased that there is a reported decline in incidents of serious crimes.

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