Police Officers' Conference
CWC, Rio Summit To top agenda
Kaieteur News
February 5, 2007
Security arrangements for this month's Rio Summit and next month's Cricket World Cup are expected to head the list of items to be discussed at this year's annual police officers' conference which commences on Thursday.
The three-day conference is expected to be declared opened by President Bharat Jagdeo and will also be addressed by new Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee.
Guyana will host this year's Rio Summit, which will see leaders of several South American countries coming to the Land of Many Waters for high level multilateral and some bilateral talks.
Guyana will also host the Super Eight matches of Cricket World Cup 2007 and it is expected that the fine tuning of security arrangements for the two major events will engage the discussions of the officers.
Also to feature prominently on the list of topics for discussions is the reformation of the police force to enable it to effectively manage the country's high crime rate.
The recent signing of the US$22M Citizens' Security Programme agreement will facilitate the implementation of the process.
Crime, sexual offences, deportees, immigration and community policing will also be discussed at the Police Officers' Conference.
Several newly promoted officers will attend this year's conference and it is expected that some of the major focus this year will be on the young officers.
But, according to a source, at least two senior officers whose input would have been integral to the discussions will be notably absent.
Assistant Commissioner and ‘A' Division Commander, Paul Slowe is overseas and, according to reports, will miss the conference after requesting one month sick leave.
Traffic Chief Roland Alleyne, responsible for the traffic arrangements for the two upcoming major events, will also be missed.
This is the first year that Acting Commissioner Henry Greene will preside as head of the force.
Last year President Jagdeo did not attend the opening ceremony of the conference, sparking off speculation that there was some bitterness between the government and the force administration.
At the time there was controversy over the release of two audio tapes of conversation between then Police Commissioner Winston Felix and other persons.
The President however turned up at the conference a few days later and held closed door discussions with the police officers at which he reassured them of his support. He had suffered from an ear infection when the conference opened.