Crimes Unit to be on standby during Christmas season
As the Christmas season approaches, Georgetown will be divided into five hubs and each sector will be commanded by an Assistant Superintendent in an effort to tackle any increase in criminal activities during this period.
This is part of the Guyana Police Force (GPF)’s Christmas policing plan which was unveiled last Monday. It will run up to January 15 and is aimed to enable citizens to conduct their business in a safe and secure environment. Commander of ‘A’ Division, Clifton Hicken indicated that the five sectors were created to maximize supervision of the police in Georgetown and will target crime, traffic congestion and road accidents. As part of the plan, citizens can expect increased foot, motorcycle and vehicular patrols around the city, along the East Bank Demerara to Timehri corridor, and in hot spots. Foot patrols will be conducted between 07:00hrs to 13:00hrs and 12:00hrs to 19:00hrs daily, while motor cycles and vehicular patrols will be done on a 24-hour basis in 12-hour shifts. Between 22nd to 26th and 29th to 31st of December, foot patrol timings will be adjusted to accommodate late shopping. Hicken revealed that execution of search warrants, cordon and searches will be conducted regularly by the Criminal Investigation Department and other ranks in areas of interest. In Georgetown, a tow truck will be used to remove illegally parked cars while wheel clamps and vehicle escorts will be provided when necessary.
Meanwhile, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum related that the Guyana Police Force has recalled all its senior officials from their vacations to work during the Christmas period. “We will deploy our ranks in the form of mobile, marine and foot patrols in the day and night and we will continue with our intelligence led policing, targeting high criminal elements,” the Crime Chief said, adding that there will be police presence at the airports. He is also warning persons to be on the lookout for fraudsters who usually order a large number of items and pay with a manager’s cheque on Fridays, when banks are closed. Last year there were two reports of fraudsters paying with managers’ cheques that were not valid. The Crime Chief said that a team from the Major Crimes Unit will be on standby in the event of any major security threat. (Kaieteurnews.com)