Minister of Home Affairs Ronald Gajraj conceded yesterday that intelligence gathering by the police force "leaves much to be desired at the moment and we are working on it feverishly."
In testimony before the Disciplined Forces Commission, he said this was in part because agents of the police special branch did not have the same usefulness of years ago since they had become well known to the public and were unable to infiltrate certain areas for intelligence gathering.
He said the force was trying to address this at the recruitment level, where some officers were being selected to be trained separately, to conceal their identities, Gajraj said.
Meanwhile, he said the government had taken urgent steps over the years to equip and build confidence in the security force which now faced alarming new proportions of crime.
"The state of the force at the time when the administration assumed office and the nature of the crime [that] the police have had to respond to have changed from then to now...so even if there is a reduction of crimes what we are concerned about is the changing nature," he said, describing the criminal activities as being of a relatively recent vintage. "There is a new dispensation and we have had to address the level of training to [confront] it."
Gajraj said organised crimes like drug trafficking, arms smuggling and money laundering had assumed alarming proportions. He also cited the influx of deportees with special skills as a significant problem, though he said the government had sought to deal with this situation through legislation authorising police surveillance.
Gajraj said special training programmes have had to be developed nearly overnight and the Government was continuing to work with both regional and international partners to ensure that policemen could deal with the situation.
In relation to recruitment, remuneration and the retention of its ranks, Gajraj said that the government had so far spent over $355M this year alone to improve the work conditions for policemen. This includes the renovation of barrack rooms which were neglected over the years.
Since 1992, he said, wages for a regular constable had been increased from $4,000 to $23,000.
"We are not contending that it is sufficient, but (it) is in the circumstances of the economy and the resources available... but we are trying to make it more comfortable and more attractive to members of the public inclined to enlist."
According to the Commission's terms of reference under Article 197 (A) of the Constitution, it is mandated to make recommendations to make the forces, which are largely Afro-Guyanese dominated, take account the ethnic constitution of the population.
Gajraj told the Commission that although there had been reports of there being pressure on certain ethnic groups, since he assumed office he had tried to address the complaints about recruitment. These include inadequate notices of the recruitment campaign.
The environment of some police stations unnerved some of the younger applicants who were interested but decided to stay away from precincts, where the interviews were once held.
Wider publicity is now given to the force's recruitment campaigns and interviews are now conducted at identified schools in areas like the Corentyne, Essequibo and in Linden.
The government has also tried to target certain communities; it has set up a training school at Adventure, a predominantly Indian area in Essequibo, Gajraj said.
But he warned the Commission to bear in mind when crafting its recommendations the limited resources available and the increasing demands on the forces, ethnic security fears and general political distrust.
Gajraj also said the government has recognised that the efficacy of the police force was largely dependent on community support, including intelligence it received from the public.
Along with community policing groups, the involvement of community leaders in police station management committees has also been encouraged. These committees, which are aimed at addressing issues which affect both policemen and civilians, are also expected to promote a better understanding of community interests as well as professional involvement of the police in the community. Meanwhile, in order to achieve greater public acceptance of its security policies, the Government has recommended the creation of a National Commission on Law and Order, an idea that Gajraj said had been supported by regional Heads of Governments.
This envisages a commission comprised of representatives of various sections of the society - like the political parties, the labour movement and the religious groups - who would study situations like the recent crime wave and make recommendations to inform policies.
Section 7 of the Police Act says the Police Commissioner shall, "subject to the general orders and direction of the Minister, have the command and superintendence of the Force, and he shall be responsible to the Minister for peace and good order throughout Guyana [and] for the efficient administration and government of the Force..."
However there have been innumerable allegations of political interference in the operations of the force which have been levied against the Government and, more particularly, against the Minister.
Gajraj said there is no evidence to support such allegations and he insisted that the Commissioner, during his own appearance before the Commission, would be the best person to address these concerns.
McDonald had told the Commission that he has experienced no political interference and there has never been a clashing of his and the Minister's authority.
But Gajraj also considered that the Act does not stop the Minister from getting involved in certain areas which may require special attention, like inquiries into public order. He held this view recognising that he is ultimately responsible to Parliament and to the public for the performance of the force.
"When things go good, the technical people do well; but when things go wrong the Minister gets the blame," he lamented.