The Guyana Police Force, through the Ministry of Home Affairs, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to build the capacity of the local Police Force.
The signing ceremony took place this morning at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Deputy Commissioner of the NYPD, Tania Kinsella said the NYPD is pleased to partner with the Guyana Police Force, and together they will enhance the capabilities of the Guyana Police Force.
Kinsella, whose mother is Guyanese, told those present that through the training progamme, the NYPD will share its experiences and best practices with the local police force.
She explained that the practices of the NYPD has resulted int he streets of New York being cleared of thousands of illegal weapons.
“We want to help them tackle similar challenges in their communities, and make Guyana safe too. We all recognize Guyana is not New York City, that is why we are going to tailor training programmes to meet the unique needs of the Law Enforcement right here in Guyana. And as we move forward, I see a future, where our partnership only grows stronger and where we really exchange knowledge and experience for the greater good of New York City and Guyana,” the NYPD First Deputy Commissioner said.
Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn said the Guyana Government is pleased to sign onto the initiative, which will lead to the transformation of the Guyana Police Force at a time when it is confronted with newer challenges in its quest to combat crime.
“Our challenges of law enforcement, of fighting crime, have reached newer and higher levels. Our experiences, and our expertise, and the information gathering and systems we have in place are yet trailing behind the level at which we need to be to deal with these challenges, these new challenges. Our partnership with the NYPD will be significant to leap frog certain stages in terms of where we need to get to, to deal with the multifaceted issues of crime fighting,” Minister Benn explained.
He said the local police will be able to learn from the experiences of the NYPD as the Government works to transform the Police Force to a Police Service, while creating a new culture of policing.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole D. Theriot, said the signing of the MoU signals the start of a new training partnership intended to support the Guyana Police Force’s 2022-2026 Strategic Management Plan.
She said this week, Deputy Commissioner Kinsella and her delegation will meet with key Government and Civil Society Stakeholders including President Irfaan Ali, and Ministers of his Government, as well as the Mayor of Georgetown Alfred Mentore to ensure that the training programme is designed to meet the security needs of the country.
“Over the coming month, we are excited to work with the NYPD and GPF to develop curriculum on the adoption of law enforcement training best practices, including on homicide and gender-based violence investigations, as well as, as the First Deputy Commissioner mentioned, Community Policing,” Ambassador Theriot explained.
The training programme, the US Ambassador explained, is being funded by the US Embassy and the US Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and International Law Enforcement (INL) Affairs.
Following the consultative process, the NYPD Delegation will return to Guyana within months to initiate the training programme. Additionally, a cadre of Guyana Police Force Officers will be sent to New York for a practical study tour at NYPD training centre.
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