Policing capabilities in the country are set to receive a significant boost following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the New York Police Department (NYPD) on Monday.
The MoU was signed between Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn, US Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot, and NYPD’s First Deputy Commissioner Tania Kinsella at the Guyana Police Force Headquarters in Eve Leary’s Commissioner’s Conference Room.
Minister Benn acknowledged the rising challenges of combating crime in the country and stressed the need for modern and advanced strategies. He expressed optimism about the potential benefits of learning from the NYPD’s experiences.
“With the NYPD and their crime-fighting challenges and the successes they have had in New York, it would be advantageous for us to learn from their experiences and take us to a much higher level,” the minister stated.
Minister Benn highlighted the transformative impact the MoU is expected to have on security operations in Guyana, emphasising the goal of fostering an inclusive and efficient justice system.
US Ambassador Theriot underscored the significance of the initiative, describing it as the beginning of a new training opportunity for Guyanese officers. She noted that this initiative aligns with the GPF’s strategic management plans for 2022 to 2026, aimed at strengthening the law enforcement system.
The US Ambassador also announced plans to collaborate with the NYPD and GPF to develop a curriculum focusing on law enforcement best practices, including homicide and gender-based violence investigations, and community policing.
She pledged continued support from the US Embassy and the US Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, noting their commitment to funding the programme’s success.
Meanwhile, NYPD’s First Deputy Commissioner Kinsella pledged tailored training programs to address the specific needs of law enforcement in Guyana, promising to implement measures to help tackle similar challenges faced in New York.
“We are going to tailor training programmes to meet the unique needs of the law enforcement right here in Guyana,” Kinsella pledged.
The NYPD team will return shortly to Guyana to commence the programmes. The MoU also entails GPF officers travelling to New York for practical study tour training at the NYPD’s training facility.
The signing ceremony follows President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s courtesy visit in February, during which he met with NYPD’s First Deputy Commissioner at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel while on an official visit to the US.