The Guyana Police Force (GPF) notes with concern a recent flurry of articles in the media that are apparently aimed at tarnishing the reputation and sullying the image of the Administration of the Force.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) notes with concern a recent flurry of articles in the media that are apparently aimed at tarnishing the reputation and sullying the image of the Administration of the Force.

As recent as Wednesday March 18, 2020, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) issued a Press Release under the caption “GCCI Condemns Aggressive Posture taken by GPF and Political Interference in Electoral Process”

From the outset the rubric of the Press Release by GCCI is highly prejudicial to the Guyana Police Force with reference to its posture during an incident at the Arthur Chung International Conference Centre (ACICC) on March 16, 2020, and has likened its duties conducted to ‘interfere in the Electoral Process.’

In the apparent absence of any understanding or appreciation of the statutory role, responsibilities and functions of the Police within the State of Guyana, this is unfounded, bias, unmerited and highly fallacious.

In this regard the GPF wishes to iterate that the police operates within the confines of the law provided for by Section 3(2) of the Police Act Cap. 16:01. Reference is also made to article 197A (4) of the Constitution of Guyana which itself refers to what the Police can do to ensure safety in ‘all places’

The pontification of GCCI that the action by ranks of the GPF has set an uncomfortable precedent is of utter proclivity and very misleading to say the least. The GPF is a professional organisation and maintains impartiality, a position which has been consistently demonstrated during its daily engagements with the citizenry throughout the Ten Administrative Regions. To this end the GPF hastens to highlight that there is absolutely no evidence to the contrary as is posited by the release.

Additionally, the GPF seeks to make it pellucid that in its view, the calling on all parties to exercise restraint, and refrained from interfering with or compromising the independence and integrity of the Electoral Process and to act only in a legal framework in accordance with the Law, is wholly deceitful and malicious, with a myopic view, intended and purposefully so, to malign the Professionalism and Integrity of our Noble Organisation.