Cops who solved major crimes rewarded

By Isanella Patoir

The Guyana Police Force Wednesday rewarded over $19.5 million in cash and prizes to officers who performed well during the year.

The officers were awarded during a ceremony at the Tactical Services Unit Drill Square at Eve Leary.

Police Commissioner, Leslie James said these officers worked beyond the call of duty and understood their role and responsibility as officers of the Force.

The cash awards were presented to officers of F, E and A Divisions and also to officers from the Criminal Investigations Department.

The ranks who were involved in a shootout that left three bandits dead at Black Bush Polder received $115, 000 each. The death of the bandits in early May ended a notorious crime spree in the county of Berbice which traumatized residents for months.

In addition, the ranks who were involved in a shootout which left three bandits dead on Norton Street, Georgetown at the end of May each received $90,000.

The ranks who were involved in the operation that led to the arrest of five persons for the recent shooting of an East Coast money changer and his daughter at Better Hope, East Coast Demerara, each received $200, 000.

Other officers received awards for the successful recovery of guns and ammunition and drugs so far for this year.

Officers, who were on joint patrol in January at an interior location arrested two Venezuelan Nationals who each had a grenade, while in February two officers conducted a search at a secluded mining camp and recovered two pistols and matching rounds and arrested the suspect who was later charged.

The officers in both exercises were each awarded $100,000.

In June, officers conducted a search of a minibus at the Mabura Police Outpost checkpoint and found 28 kilograms (62 pounds) of cannabis.

They were each awarded $80,000.

In June also, a drug eradication exercise was conducted at by ranks at 8 Mile, Ituni Backdam where three acres of marijuana was discovered with a street value of $28M – the ranks each received $70,000.

The Police Commissioner said these awards and recognition are never in vain because the record will show that the awardees will continue to excel in their duties.

“There are the officers that remain in their offices taking statement, generating painstaking reports long after their colleagues would have left; there are those officers that cast aside fear of danger and challenge individuals with criminal intention and those engage in criminal enterprises…over the past five years, the Guyana Police Force has paid out nearly $154M and today we paying out some $19.5M,” the Police Commissioner said.

The award ceremony is one of the activities to commemorate the 180th Anniversary of the Guyana Police Force.

Deputy Police Commissioner, Paul Williams also addressed the ceremony.

“Every year we continue to make things better and better and also to secure the relevant resources which can help us really and truly face the challenges,” Williams said.

The Deputy Police Commissioner said the Force will continue to strive to ensure that Guyana is a safe country.

“Our successes can measure against statistics, it can measure against in terms of our performance, also it can be measured against our public relations and our public trust,” the Deputy Police Commissioner said.

The Community Policing Groups were also honoured at the award ceremony.