Amerindians encouraged to join the force by Home Affairs Minister

Indigenous people are being encouraged by Home Affairs Minister to embrace all opportunities to join the country’s security forces, as government drives steadfastly to create equal opportunity for all Guyanese.

“We want to have young amerindian people and others who are not represented to rush to join up whether it’s the police force, whether it’s the army, whether it’s the prison service, we want representative participation in those forces,” he said. Benn was speaking to Toshaos and other officials at the National Toshaos Council (NTC) Conference on Thursday.

The minister during his presentation, pointed out government’s plans of creating a modern national security force inclusive of the Guyana Defence Force, Guyana Police Force, Guyana Fire Service, and Guyana Prison Service and reiterated that the process is an inclusive one “you too have to play a significant role in securing your communities and supporting the national interest in respect of security.”

The home affairs minister expressed government’s commitment to further improving the physical environment and provision of training for members of the security forces. “We have been working particularly in respect of building new police stations or rehabilitation some of those in the hinterland areas, particularly Charity, Imbaimadai, Kamarang, Kurupung, Kato, Yarikita and Baramita at this moment,” he said.

Benn stressed that this move is strategic not only to ensure officers are afforded a comfortable space to perform their duties but also to improve the quality of services offered.

Minister Benn in acknowledging the increase in the number of rural constables and the role of community policing over the past two years in the hinterland regions, he commended the village leaders on the success of community policing in their respective communities. “I think we have more than doubled the number of groups countywide and also the number of membership of people from the community in the community policing groups,” he noted.

The minister also declared as part of the government of Guyana, security reform process, persons who were incarcerated will now have an opportunity to reform their lives. “We’re taking about a fresh start where persons who are in prison are rehabilitated but in terms of reintegration that they are trained up and given the tools of a new trait, a trait that they have chosen and trained in, to move on,” he explained.