Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan believes that the formation of more Community Policing Groups (CPGs) in the police’s ‘A’ Division can help to reduce the high crime rate. He said he is working with the Divisional Commander to promote community policing.
At a press conference on Monday, the Minister said it was found that 51% of the overall crimes are committed in Georgetown and surrounding areas.
Ramjattan said the aim is to have young people join these groups to deter them from committing illegal activities, since “we have found that the young people are more indulgent in alcohol, in illicit drugs, in wrongdoings of a variety that including helping out with a lot of petty offences and even serious criminal offences.”
He said it is a challenging task to get persons who are educated on domestic violence, suicide prevention and other social issues to join the CPGs.
“There are lots of people here who would have tried and pleaded with those members but they are not coming forward but whenever there is a crisis, they call on these guys to come forward, to do the patrols to take care of my house and all of that,” he told media operatives in the presence of various CPG Heads on Monday.
According to police statistics for January 2018, there were two murders in ‘A’ division; the same was recorded in B and G Divisions, but ‘A’ Division had the highest number of firearm seizures.
At least fifteen persons are needed to form a community policing group. The persons are screened by the police force before they are approved and thereafter, the Groups report to a liaison officer of the Ministry of Public Security. (Bibi Khatoon)
