Acting Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Edward Collins said the Joint Services efforts to respond to acts of crime "have been improved" through the revision of the inter-agency communications protocols and additional resources of the Army that have been made available in the national anti-crime fight.

He told a news conference hosted by the Police and Army that their joint operations will continue to focus on criminal networks, and exercises such as cordon and searches and roadblocks and these are likely to continue.

"We would like to take this opportunity to publicly reassure commuters on the East Coast Demerara that additional security measures have been introduced as well (and) we would like to take this opportunity to thank the law-abiding public who have been providing us with critical information and ask that they continue in this vein," Collins said.

He said the Joint Services are committed to ensuring the free flow of traffic along the important east-west corridor on the East Coast and the protection of commuters from harassment and intimidation.

"On Monday we introduced an aerial patrol, a multiplier we call it, for a view from up in the air, as well as the ability to intercept any potential or any criminal who might have conducted a crime and attempted to escape," Collins added.

Among the top brass of the Joint Services at yesterday's briefing at the Police Officers Mess, Eve Leary, Georgetown, were Police Commissioner Floyd McDonald; Police Commissioner-designate Winston Felix; Assistant Superintendent of Police David Ramnarine, and Lt. Colonel Bruce Lovell of the GDF.

NO RESTRICTIONS
The Police and the Army also dispelled claims that their joint operations have been faced with restrictions from certain "agencies" or individuals, specifically the Government or President Bharrat Jagdeo.

"Well, I am surprised to hear that disclosure. I am not aware of any attempt by His Excellency, the President, neither am I aware of any attempt by any other persons to hamper any operations that we may have planned...I am not aware of any effort to impede any effort that we are making," Commissioner McDonald said.

Operations are not planned "out of the sky" but are planned based on intelligence which has to be timely and accurate if that operation is going to be successful, he said.

McDonald added: "I am not aware of any restrictions on our activities from any agency or agencies. As far as I am concerned, and I am sure the Army agrees, we are allowed to conduct our activities without any hindrance from anyone. We admit that we are still getting incidents of crimes in the country but we need to understand the nature of the crimes."

He pointed out that years ago the criminals did not "have motor cars to jump into...the road network was not as advanced as it is now, and the use of cellular telephones has proven to be very detrimental to law enforcement. So those are just some of the issues that are affecting our operations and that is why we have been calling for the ability to be able to monitor more electronically, certain activities which would give us a better system of crime prevention if we are to be allowed that access."

McDonald said one of the major problems the Police and Army are faced with in their current crime fight is "the proliferation of motor cars and motor vehicles in the country".

"That is something that is hampering us tremendously and what we are saying is that the nature of the crimes is changing and we have to look at advanced methods to deal with the current crime situation in the country," he said.

On the question of a `limited curfew' in some areas, Collins pointed out that the situation is not static but one that is evolving all the time as the days go by and every method and option of operation by the Joint Services is being considered and a limited curfew is one of those options.

He noted that limited curfews can be considered for a particular geographic state or a particular village at a particular time but that at this point in time, the Police and Army share the view of the Secretary to the Defence Board, Dr. Roger Luncheon, based on their advice, that a "limited curfew is not necessary".

"The operative word is limited and if we were to make the decision to use limited curfew, the factors that would be considered there are the resources to enforce it and if we are to have a limited curfew then we will ensure that that limited curfew would be enforced with the limited resources we have," he assured.

LEAKAGE OF INFORMATION
The Heads of the Joint Services operations were also asked to comment on a report which suggested that an Army rank was observed using a cell phone last Saturday morning to allegedly 'tip off' persons in Buxton prior to the cordon-and-search operation by the Joint Services that very morning.

They were also asked to comment on another report that a Police Sergeant was seen allegedly 'high-fiving' a known criminal in Buxton during the cordon and search operation last Saturday.

Both allegations were dismissed by Collins who responded: "I have no such report about the soldier being caught on a cell phone, and with regards the Sergeant `high-fiving' (a criminal), we have no such report either."

He added, "We are always permitted to use cell phones (since) a soldier is an ordinary citizen in uniform and he is allowed to use a cell phone. I don't know of any law in Guyana where a citizen is denied the use of a cell phone..."

He, however, noted that information leakages have been a security concern and are being discussed at the level of the Joint Services and within the organisations.

"Leakages are a security concern, anywhere, anytime in any part of the world," Collins said.

Although no officer has been directly fingered so far for having leaked information, he said, "what we do know is that from our own analysis, if an operation is planned and we did not get the successes desired, that leakages could be one of the factors".

Regarding reports in some quarters that last Saturday's cordon and search exercise in Buxton was not as successful as it should have been mainly because the criminals in Buxton were "tipped off" prior to the Joint Services exercise, McDonald said he has no information to suggest that anyone was forewarned prior to the commencement of the operation.

"It's just unfortunate that we have not been as lucky enough on this occasion to recover any arms and ammunition. But experiences in Guyana have shown over the years that people...find innovative methods and places to hide arms and ammunitions, some even hide them in toilets, so we have not been able to find any arms and ammunition but we have not had any information that would suggest that there was any compromise on the operations."

Collins also shared the same sentiments, and reasoned that there were some "intangible achievements" coming out of last Saturday's operations in Buxton.

One such achievement was that the Police were not "pelted or abused" in Buxton, he said.

According to McDonald, law enforcement deals with two phases - prevention and detection.

"Our experiences have shown that that the corridor along the East Coast public road in the vicinity of Buxton (about a half-mile stretch of road) is susceptible to criminal activity hence the need for our constant presence on that road.

"What happens is that young men, in gangs of probably three and four, stop vehicles, one may appear to be a passenger and enter the vehicles and others join and rob the commuters," he said.

"So that corridor is very important and the fact that there may be an appearance of a reduction of the number of incidents on that road, our absence from that road could be detrimental to the entire population, especially those coming from the east of the country.

"So we need to maintain a presence there and our deployment is based on statistical data about activities in that area," McDonald added.

Collins also noted that the Army's operational areas of responsibility still remain Lusignan to Enmore, East Coast Demerara and once intelligence is provided, every single village between Lusignan and Enmore is subjected to cordon-and-searches operations, roadblocks and patrols.

He also took the opportunity to "reinforce the attitude of the public", noting that they have been encouraged by the reports they got from the villagers in the Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara area during Wednesday's operation there.

"It was a public spirited, law-abiding citizen that made us aware of the suspicious looking individuals in the area that prompted the operation and if we can have throughout the length and breadth of this country, more such attitudes coming forward, then I am sure that soon we would be able to bring relief to the citizens of Guyana," he urged.

PROCUREMENT OF CRIME-FIGHTING EQUIPMENT
Commissioner of Police-designate Felix reported that the crime-fighting "equipment" he was sent overseas to procure in an effort to boost the Police Force, and for which funds were made available by the Government to purchase, has been identified. The items have been sourced and the necessary administrative work is now in progress, he told reporters.

Felix noted that as soon as certain aspects of the "paper work" are completed, the equipment being custom-made overseas will be arriving here.

There is a schedule which has been worked out and the items will be supplied according to that schedule, he said.

"I know that a schedule has been worked out and delivery will proceed according to the schedule; the timeframe is definitely before year-end," Felix said.