Seven new ‘fire assets’, three modern ambulances in 2023 as gov’t aims to further reduce crime

With an average 20 per cent reduction in serious crimes between 2015 and 2022, the government, through its allocations in the 2023 budget, intends to further reduce those rates.

So says Minister of Home Affairs, Brindley Robeson Benn, during his contribution to the budget debate in the National Assembly on Thursday.

Labelling the presentations from the APNU+AFC Parliamentarians as disgraceful, Benn invited the House to quiet down from the ensuing heckling and “let’s talk public security.”

“Of course, crime is a serious problem,” Benn further noted but argued that the governing PPP/C, through its policies and programmes and support for the security arm of the state, has seen a reduction in all categories of crime.

“We have reduced total robbery, serious crimes, murder and violence by average figures of 20 per cent.

“Time will not allow me to deal with issues of crime and violence but it has a lot to do with our support to the Guyana Police Force.

“Provision of new vehicles, training efforts in respect to crime and violence and mitigation of that,” the Minister added.

Benn invited the parliamentary opposition to be more empathic rather than critical.

To this end, he said some seven new fire assets and three modern ambulances will be procured this year to further aid efforts following a dramatic increase in fires to public buildings, the majority suspected to be the act of arsonists.

“We will be pursuing a programme to increase the peace,” Benn added.

In 2023, the government has allocated a sum of $58.6 billion towards the fulfilment of this vision of a strengthened security sector that will help to maintain peace and prosperity for ‘One Guyana.’