Border controversy: President Ali says Police intensifying security efforts

President Dr. Irfaan Ali announced on Thursday that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is stepping up its security focus as part of national efforts to guarantee Guyanese are kept safe from any threats.

The President has been engaging residents of Region One (Barima-Waini) as part of his visit on Thursday to the northernmost region.

During his engagements, the President heard several concerns raised by residents in light of Venezuela’s ongoing aggressions, including its plan to hold a referendum on December 3. That referendum, some fear, could be used by the Spanish-speaking nation to up its claim of Guyana’s Essequibo region.

The Commander in Chief acknowledged these concerns but sought to assure the residents that the government and the armed forces are working diligently to protect Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Police Force in particular, the President said, is doing a lot of work “behind the scenes” to analyse intelligence gathered. The work of the Police will, however, be intensified.

“The Guyana Police Force is active and you will see greater activism from the Guyana Police Force to ensure that the intelligence is at its best,” President Ali said.

Meanwhile, the Head of State also told residents that the Guyana Defence Force is stepping up its monitoring and will benefit from continued training support from international partners including the United States.