Group life insurance proposed for frontline police
Stabroek News
June 7, 2003
Cabinet is looking at purchasing group life insurance coverage for frontline officers of the Guyana Police Force to ameliorate the hardships of dependents of slain policemen.
This was disclosed by Minister of Home Affairs, Ronald Gajraj at a press conference held at the GTV-11 studios yesterday where he pointed out that fourteen police officers had been killed by bandits this year.
He said policemen “are constantly under attack... they are threatened, fired upon and insulted as they put their lives on the line every day to preserve the peace, maintain public order, prevent and detect crime and protect persons and their properties.”
He also stressed that the force needed the support of the public in the execution of its duties.
“Crime is everyone’s business and therefore as we voice our concern over the level of criminal activities in our society, we must support the measures necessary to arrest the situation.”
He said for this year the force had arrested 655 persons, compared to 2016 in 2002. These were suspects charged with various offences including murder, robbery under arms and rape.
Additionally the officers seized 36 firearms and a quantity of ammunition in separate incidents.
In armed confrontations fifteen criminals were shot dead.
Eighty-five weapons were seized in 2002 while thirty-one criminals were shot in armed confrontation.
In terms of capacity building in the force, Minister Gajraj said that $355M was allocated for capital expenditure in addition to the $333M allocated in 2002.
Last year’s sum was to be spent on police stations and buildings, land and water transport, equipment and furniture and the money allocated this year would be channelled in the same direction.
He said the ministry was still in the process of acquiring the plot of land for the establishment of a specialised training centre where police officers and other law enforcement officers could be exposed to modern techniques.
In relation to the air wing for the police force, Gajraj said that a coordinating committee would be meeting with stakeholders with a view to identifying a hangar, the specification of aircraft and training among other issues.
Also included in these initiatives is the development of a corps of specially trained and academically qualified personnel to enhance the traffic department and to boost the capabilities of the Criminal Investigation Department.
