Briefing reporters at the Office of the President where a special Cabinet meeting was being held, he said the closed door consultation focused on the current crime situation and the causes of criminal activities.

He said one feasible suggestion was that on building public confidence in passing information to the Police.

According to Gajraj, a suggestion was that certain confidential persons in a community be used as a channel for residents to interact with the Police.

Another proposal had to do with the Police attitude towards members of the public when they are taken into custody for questioning, the time they have to spend in custody and the conditions they are subjected to while in custody.

The minister said that suggestions towards this end can be addressed.

While the consultation, the first in a series, was scheduled to last for one-and-a-half hours, it stretched into three hours, he reported.

The session was held at the Ocean View Convention Centre, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara.

Presentations were made by Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Secretary to the Defence Board, Dr. Roger Luncheon, Minister Gajraj, Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Michael Atherly and Commissioner of Police, Mr. Floyd McDonald.

The Government had said that the national consultations were being held given the main opposition People's National Congress Reform (PNC/R)'s call for a national consensus on crime, but the PNC/R merely sent an "observer" to the Thursday forum.

The PNC/R said it received its invitation on Tuesday and claimed that that reflected "shortness of notice", if not discourtesy.

It argued that the consultation was being "hastily cobbled together" and that no prior "consultation" was done.

The small Parliamentary Opposition party ROAR was not at the meeting either.

Gajraj said he was disappointed at the response by particularly these two parties.

"I...thought that these were organisations that have been very vocal in criticising the Government on every occasion that presents itself.

"And I thought being given the opportunity, they would have allowed us to have the benefit of the resources at their disposal, whether by way of suggestion, experience or otherwise", he said.

About five other organisations which were invited to the consultation did not attend.

Those in attendance were the governing People's Progressive Party/Civic, The United Force, the Guyana Action Party/Working People's Alliance, the Trades Union Congress, the Bar Association, the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana, the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, the Guyana Council of Churches, the Private Sector Commission, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry and private security firms.

Consultations similar to Thursday's exercise will be held in Berbice, Linden, Essequibo and other areas.

"We've made it clear that the consultation will get the views of people throughout the country", Gajraj said, noting that this exercise will last for a few weeks.

The Government continues to acquire resources to fight crime, he said, pointing out that top Police officials have gone overseas to secure weapons and protective gear for the Police Force.