The Guyana Police Force (GPF) is undergoing a major overhaul that is focused on enhanced safety, accountability, and modernisation.
Speaking on the programme ‘Safeguarding Our Nation’, Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken outlined the force’s strategic plans, which will serve as a roadmap to rebuild public trust and upgrade policing.
The plan is centred around six core pillars that will guide the GPF’s operations. They are: operations, partnership, developing human capacity, infrastructure, performance, professionalism, and accountability.
These pillars, Commissioner Hicken said, are designed to provide clear guidance for all officers, from senior officials to recruits, clearly outlining how the force will operate moving forward.
Infrastructure
A significant part of the plan is the investment of billions of dollars in modernising the force’s infrastructure. These include the reconstruction and rehabilitation of police stations, outposts, and living quarters across the country. The goal is to make these facilities more modern and community-friendly, while ensuring they meet international standards.
“We decided that we were going to have minimum standard buildings across the force, standardised, of course- blue and white. And if you pass across the 10 administrative regions of Guyana and the 12 administrative regions of the force, you’re going to see what is not completed yet, is at an advanced stage of completion or is completed already,” Commissioner Hicken explained.
Last year alone, contracts were signed for the reconstruction of police stations at Mahaica, North Ruimveldt, Beterverwagting and Imbotero. The highway patrol base is also being upgraded to a police station, while major upgrades are being done at the Den Amstel Police Station.
This year, a further $4.7 billion was allocated to advance infrastructure works on several facilities, including the construction of the state-of-the-art Brickdam Police Station, which is scheduled to be completed in 2026.
A Community Relations Department (CRD) was also formed to ensure the country is policed in a more community-friendly way to further bridge the gap between the police and citizens.
“There they are the ‘go-between’ the public and the police force, and it’s been working for us,” Commissioner Hicken explained, before stating, “So, we can expect much more out of that while we’re building capacity as we speak.”
The GPF is also decentralising services like passport processing and police clearances, making them more accessible to citizens, especially those in remote areas.
Accountability and public trust
New technology, such as body cameras for officers and the introduction of stun guns for less-lethal force options, is being rolled out to increase transparency and ensure proper conduct and accountability of officers.
In a statement issued on Monday, GPF reported an 88 per cent reduction in serious crimes; a 63 per cent decrease in murders, an 88 per cent drop in armed robberies, and a 93 per cent decline in burglaries and larceny.
While crime rates show a decline, Commissioner Hicken acknowledged that there is much more room for improvement. To address this, the GPF is promoting an ‘open door policy’ at all levels, encouraging citizens to voice concerns.
“And so, at the commissioner level, we have an open-door policy. At the Commanders, then the ELT level, sub-division level, we have open-door policies. But guess what? We are striving every day to be more transparent as a police force,” he said.
“You can see we’re improving the force through diversity. We’ve been putting up additional outposts. We’ve been filtering by the cameras for the policemen to ensure there’s transparency,” the commissioner asserted.
Commissioner Hicken further stated that the Police Complaint Authority and the Office of Professional Responsibility are key avenues to hold the force accountable for its actions.
“They’re dealing with reaching of SOPs and OPRs and the rest of it. And so, if there’s an issue with members of the public, let me just assure you, and if all the others fail, come to the Commissioner’s office, and I’m going to ensure it’s done,” Commissioner Hicken said.
The sum of $34.4 billion was allocated in the National Budget this year to enhance the visibility and responsiveness of the GPF. This year’s allocation represents an increase when compared to the $30.3 billion that was allocated in 2024.
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