Some of the transportation implements once used by the Community Policing Groups (CPGs) before its alleged disbandment by the former APNU+AFC government, went missing.
This is what Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn told the House this afternoon during the examination of budget 2022 estimates in the Committee of Supply at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
Benn told the committee that some 177 CPGs were shut down during the Coalition’s time in office between 2015 and 2020, and “much of the assets disappeared”, prompting the involvement of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to relocate some of these items.
The government will now be moving to replace and augment items including outboard engines, ATVs, motorcycles and radio sets. Benn said that the government not only re-established these groups but promised that an additional 175 will be created this year.
Benn reminded that members of CPGs are not police officers, but regular civilians who volunteer to keep their communities safe.
The sum of $99M was allocated to support these groups that have proven to be effective across many rural and hinterland communities, the Senior Minister with responsibility of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh said during his January 26, 2022, budget speech.
