He made the plug for the law enforcement department at a news conference at the GTV 11 studios yesterday, at which he gave an update on the various sectors with come under the preview of the Home Affairs Ministry.

At the brief where Commissioner of Police, Floyd Mc Donald; Director of Prisons, Dale Erskine; Chief Fire Officer, Godfrey Washington and Deputy Fire Chief, Mr Randolp Alfred were also in attendance, but the main focus was on crime and the recent successes of the joint-service operation, the Minister noted that over the last year there has been an increase in criminality both in frequency and in the degree of violence.

He contended that “violent crimes have not been eliminated from our fair land, but their frequency has certainly been reduced in recent times due mainly to improvements in the crime-fighting capability of the Police and the assistance rendered by the GDF and other security agencies in the maintenance of peace and security, especially on the East Coast of Demerara.

It is to this end, that the law enforcement agencies have had to re-configure and strengthen their operational arms to successfully confront and deal with the new breed of crime, the Minister said

“Crime is everyone’s business and therefore as we voice our level of criminal activities in our society, we must support the measure necessary to arrest the situation,” he remarked, while reminding that policemen are constantly under attack on and off duty, that they are being threatened, fired upon and insulted as they place heir lives on the line everyday to preserve the peace, maintain public order, prevent and detect crime and protect people and their properties.

So far for this year, a total of 14 policemen have lost their lives at the hands of bandits, the Minister said, noting that Cabinet is giving active consideration through group insurance coverage of frontline officers, to further ameliorate the economic hardships of dependents of slain policemen.

Minister Gajraj said he is aware of the society’s sense of insecurity and its daily concerns with regards to the effects of crime on personal safety, tend to overshadow the many positive developments, achievements and programmes that would have emanated from the Ministry of Home Affairs, and urged the media to assist the Ministry and its related agencies to regain and sustain a state of law, order and public safety.