𝟒’𝐀’ 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐂𝐨𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐋𝐓 —𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝑯𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄, 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒍 𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒔

Commissioner of Police Mr Clifton Hicken along with the Executive Leadership Team of the Guyana Police Force, today (Monday, January 6, 2025) met with Commander of Regional Division 4’A’, Deputy Commissioner Simon McBean along with a number of Officers and ranks from the Policing Division at the Officers’ Mess Annexe, Eve Leary.

Today’s meeting is a continuation of Commissioner Hicken’s objective of meeting with all members of the Guyana Police Force, to ‘set the tone’ and outline the way forward for the GPF in 2025.

Members of the Executive Leadership Team in attendance at today’s important meeting were Deputy Commissioner ‘Administration’ Mr Ravindradat Budhram; Deputy Commissioner ‘Operations’ Mr Errol Watts and Deputy Commissioner ‘Law Enforcement’ Mr Wendell Blanhum.

Commissioner Clifton Hicken, in addressing the officers and ranks from Regional Division 4’A’, commended them for their efforts shown in 2024 which led to a significant decrease of almost 34% in crime within the Division.

The Top Cop, while he recognised their good works, simultaneously sent a stern warning to the traffic and patrol ranks. While addressing them, specifically, the Commissioner warned the traffic ranks to desist from stopping persons without their body cameras and cautioned the patrol ranks to stop doing traffic duties and focus more on engaging with members of the public.

“Traffic ranks, you are creating embarrassment to this country. So with immediate effect, this coming from the Commissioner now -nobody from traffic is to stop any vehicle or ask for any license without a body camera, and if you’re caught (you will face the consequences), that’s the first thing I want to say to you. And the second thing is, to change the uncouth way you speak to people — as if you weren’t brought up…you will greet persons with ‘Good Morning, Good Evening, Madam/ Sir’,” Commissioner Hicken warned.

Addressing the patrol ranks, the Commissioner sternly stated: “Patrol ranks, you are disrespectful to yourselves and to others too. You are doing patrols but you are not engaging vehicles, you are not driving slowly with the flashlight on so people can really have a talk with you. Instead, you find yourself stopping and doing traffic work too. But I want to say this for the Anti-Crime patrols — you are to drive very slowly, you are to have the windows down, and you are to interact with everybody you see.”

Before leaving the podium, Commissioner Hicken also cautioned those present that corruption will not be tolerated in the Guyana Police Force, stating: “Today is the dawn of a new era. Corruption stops now.”

The Top Cop, during the meeting also shared some of the ongoing developments taking place in the Guyana Police Force and highlighted the pillars of the Force’s 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. As part of that Strategic Plan, Commissioner Hicken shared that emphasis will be placed on improving infrastructure, operations, developing our people and building meaningful partnerships with the public and all communities across Guyana.

In their positive charge to the ranks, Deputy Commissioners Budhram, Watts and Blanhum, shared similar sentiments, expressing the need for unity and cooperation amongst ranks from the various sections of the Force in the fight against crime.

The Senior Officers also urged the attendees to be cognizant of their attitude, conduct and deportment as law enforcement officers. They all stressed the need to work as a cohesive unit and as a team, pointing out that there is success in strength.

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(𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐂𝐔’𝐬 𝐀𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚 𝐑𝐚𝐣𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢)