New Brickdam Police Station to help improve security – Dr Jagdeo
General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has said that the government’s decision to construct a modern 12-story building to house the Brickdam Police Station ‘A’ Division Headquarters, forms part of its master plan to enhance security, and the training of police.
While this agenda includes the upgrades and improved equipping of existing police stations across the country, Dr Jagdeo stressed that this will be done in phases, as technology will be integrated into everyday operations to boost security capabilities.
“We also need a whole range of facilities and technology and upgrade of the environment. You need that building, and you need what would be a central police station, that can do a large number of things, not just policing,” he told reporters at a weekly press conference at Freedom House on Thursday.
He noted that the aim is to have a central police station positioned as a ‘nerve centre’ for countrywide crimefighting. This aligns with the government’s drive to foster modern operations facilitated by the enabling infrastructure.
“The technology will support it; it has to be bolstered by good quality forensic labs. We’re already putting in security cameras with facial recognition software. We’re working on a biometric project that would allow us to know where every criminal in Guyana who has a record [is]; we can pinpoint where they are at any moment in time,” the GS explained.
This software could also help to identify persons who travel to Guyana and overstay their visas.
“All of that will be worked in at different pieces. So, it is not just a building we are putting up there. It is a plan we are rolling out. It’s part of our security plan,” he added.
On Monday, January 8, 2024, the sod was turned for the new US$28 million Brickdam Police Station, two years after the previous wooden complex was destroyed by fire.
The state-of-the-art concrete, steel and glass building will comprise key departments and advanced safety features, such as CCTV monitoring, and fire protection and detection systems.