Brickdam Lockups need to be completed urgently – Acting Police Commissioner

GINA, GUYANA, Monday 24, 2016

Acting Police Commissioner said the works to complete the Brickdam detention facility should be expedited to adequately serve the needs of A Division.

Acting Police Commissioners David Ramnarine during a press briefing today at the Police Public Relations Officer, Kingston said that the state of the key detention facility “continues to be of grave concern to us as law enforcement officials”.

“The burden of shifting serious crimes suspects to other lockups on a daily basis is one we have been bearing with tremendous patience over the years. I wish to take this opportunity to urge the officials concerned to spare no effort to realise this much needed facility in the capital city of Georgetown,” Commissioner Ramnarine said.

A Division, of which Georgetown is part, deals with close to 60 percent of the reports of serious crimes. Commissioner Ramnarine said that it is challenging for the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to find holding facilities for offenders in the division. “You have to eke out scarce mobile resources and manpower every day to traverse long distances to detain suspects at other facilities,” the Commissioner explained.

Commissioner Ramnarine explained that there is need for an increase in the number of holding cells at the Brickdam lockups. “They need to make it more efficient, they need to make it more accommodating and they need to address human rights issues,” Ramnarine explained.

The Acting Commissioner said that these concerns have been raised with the Ministry of Public Security which has oversight responsibility for the GPF. “There needs to be more effort in terms of expediting, enhancing that process. It’s a key facility it should be given the requisite attention of more attention as the case demands,” Commissioner Ramnarine said.

 

 

 

By Tiffny Rhodius