President calls for unity in Guyana Police Force

While breaking bread this morning at the annual Guyana Police Force Christmas Breakfast, President Irfaan Ali issued a call for unity within the Guyana Police Force, telling senior Officers that the Force can achieve more if there is a unified approach.

The call by the President come as concerns mount over the direction of the Guyana Police Force amid widespread allegations of corruption involving Police Officers. An Assistant Commissioner of Police is currently facing more than 200 fraud and money laundering charges in the Courts.

The President said there is a need for Police Officers to serve with integrity.

“The unity of the Guyana Police Force is what will make us win every single day, there is a reason why you wear similarity of uniform by your rank. There is a reason why you are identified by your uniform, because your uniform is not about an individual, but a representation of a collective,” the President noted.

The current Acting Police Commissioner is more than one year past his retirement age. His time in the Force was extended by the President.

The President said though the Force has had its fair share of challenges, he is confident that those challenges could be overcome.

“There is absolutely no reason, to run ahead of one another, you will win, in a bigger way when you run ahead together and I am assured and convinced that we have enough to run ahead together,” the President stated.

On the development of the Police Force, the President noted that the infrastructural transformation the Force is witnessing cannot be overlooked, but he said much work has to be done on maintenance.

“But what I want to ask officers and the Commissioner is to have a merit system to hold officers accountable for these facilities, because when you are stationed at a facility as officer in charge, you are also responsible for the asset under that facility and you should take pride for the asset under that facility and part of performance evaluation must be how we upkeep those facilities,” the President urged.

The President said officers in uniform must all times strive to do the right thing and must be men and women of integrity who will always uphold the rule of law.