Georgetown: The Canadian High Commission on Monday handed over a cheque valued C$7296 (over $1.7 million) to the Home Affairs Ministry for the purchase of equipment to improve Guyana’s ability to fight crime.
The funding is being provided by the Canadian Government through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) for the purchasing of two-way radios and video cameras for Guyanese law enforcement to implement best practices in crime fighting.
This is according to the Canadian High Commissioner Dr Nicole Giles during the singing of the CFLI 2014-2015 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Guyana through the Home Affairs Ministry at the Ministry on Monday.
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee expressed gratitude to the Canadian Government for the donation and assured that Guyana’s law enforcement agencies would use the equipment when purchased to its fullest capacity.
He said the gesture by the Canadian Government was another manifestation of international cooperation to fight against illegal activities.
He added that over the years, Guyana has been the recipient of support from Canada for law enforcement locally. The Minister stated for the fight against illegal activities to take place effectively, the necessary tools were needed and these Guyana could not provide alone.
The pieces of equipment to be purchased will complement a two-week training course held from November 25 to December 5, 2014, Giles said.
The course was facilitated by the Royal Canada Mounted Police (RCMP) and targeted members of the Guyana Police Force and the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU). It was the brainchild of the Government of Canada’s Anti-Crime Capacity Building Programme (ACCBP).
Giles said the training course was the first-ever ACCBP-funded project in Guyana and was a demonstration of Canada’s security cooperation with Guyana. She reported excellent results from law enforcement officials who participated in the course.
She also cited the March 2014 Jetway programme conducted in Guyana for Guyana Police Force (GPF) and CANU officers, which focused on the interdicting the transport of contraband and illicit drugs from airports as well as detecting the other crimes being committed or were about to be committed.
For this programme, the participants also received the equipment necessary to carry out their duties, Giles stated.
This programme has been an immense success and as such, Giles said: “I am confident the radios and videos provided by CFLI will ensure the investigative skills learned in 2014 will continue to deliver results in 2015 and beyond.”
The High Commissioner also expressed hope that the knowledge gained by the trained officers would be passed on to their colleagues.
This investment by the Canadian Government into Guyana’s justice system follows the most recent visit of the Canadian Justice Society, which provided a six-day training programme for Police Officers, Judges and Magistrates.
This and other initiatives are being done with the aim of strengthening Guyana’s crime fighting and justice system.
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