• Reporter
• May 14, 2025
• 0
• 38

• says that criminal behaviour should never be politicised or glorified

Georgetown, Guyana—(May 14, 2025) His Excellency President Dr Irfaan Ali highlighted the need for the Caribbean region to work as a cohesive unit in addressing security challenges, reminding leaders that nations are stronger when united.
Speaking at the 39th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Caribbean Commissioners of Police, held this week in Georgetown, he stressed the necessity of new mechanisms in the fight against transnational crime.
“We understand that we cannot live in isolation and that we must address security challenges in partnership with our brothers and sisters in the region.”
Using Guyana as an example, he noted that the country’s economic expansion has brought new security challenges. These, along with others across the region, are of concern to Guyana, as they threaten peace within the Caribbean.
The President addressed two longstanding barriers to effective policing in the region—the politicisation of crime and its glorification in society.
He warned against political figures exploiting crime as a tool for political gain, emphasising that crime is a national security issue, not an opportunity to profit from public fear.
He pointed to examples within Guyana’s history—where criminals were celebrated, their coffins draped in national flags, and publicly glorified by political figures and cultural narratives.
“There is no freedom fighter in anyone who breaks the rule of law,” the President declared, urging leaders across the region to reject the normalisation of crime in society.
“For too long, we have tiptoed around these issues… when political actors and architecture see crime as an opportunity for political profiteering, it becomes dangerous. We must see crime for what crime is, and every stakeholder, whether in Government or in Opposition, must have the same approach to crime and criminality.”
To counter these security threats, President Ali introduced the acronym HITLIST—a framework for modern crime-fighting built on the pillars of human capital, infrastructure, technology, legislation, intelligence, systems, and training.
Guyana is already taking decisive action in support of these initiatives at the regional level. A state-of-the-art forensic facility will soon be established in the country—not as a standalone asset, but as one that will serve the entire Caribbean. It will be equipped with the latest forensic tools and international expertise, with the aim of strengthening crime-solving capabilities across the region.
Another critical pillar of President Ali’s strategy is technology integration, which, he noted, must be standardised to enable truly borderless security.
Additionally, Guyana will invest in a Regional Police Academy, ensuring officers across the Caribbean receive world-class training tailored to modern crime challenges. Operating under internationally certified programmes, the academy will be open to law enforcement personnel across the region, enhancing their expertise.
Guyana’s National Defence Institute will also expand its training offerings beyond law enforcement, introducing specialised cybersecurity programmes for executives and key security stakeholders.
“Cybercrime is not just a policing issue—it is an economic and corporate issue,” the President explained.
The four-day conference, which concludes on Thursday, is being held under the theme “United in Action, Transformed in Purpose: Building an Integrated Caribbean Security Architecture.”