Georgetown, GINA, March 27, 2008Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee last evening informed the National Assembly that there is at present no compulsory drug testing programme for police and prison officers, pointing out that the Police Act does not provide for such.
The Minister was responding to GAP-ROAR Member of Parliament Everall Franklin who had asked him whether such a programme existed for ranks within the two disciplined services.
Minister Rohee in his written response said that the administration of the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) has never found the prevalence of drug use among its ranks as an issue of concern and so has never advocated the introduction of a programme of this kind.
He added that the service is however, not reluctant to implement of a drug testing programme since it would allow for the screening of staff to determine whether they are under the influence of any narcotic drug while discharging their responsibilities.
It was made clear that any such mandatory testing would have to be part of government’s policy of drug testing for recruitment into the Public Service.
Meanwhile, Minister Rohee also informed the House that there was an inadequate Police patrol service for Essequibo River but efforts are continuing to address and investigate issues in that area.
He was responding to a question posed by PNCR Member of Parliament Mervyn Williams of the availability of patrol boats to service the two sub-divisions of Division ‘D’ (West Demerara and East Bank Essequibo) of the Guyana Police Force.
Minister Rohee said one can hardly be satisfied until it can provide a boat service in all riverain communities and pointed out that there were currently three boats available to both sub-divisions, on a 24-hour basis.
The PNC/R member also questioned the Force’s human resource capability to man the boats but the Minister said such resources were adequate at this time.
He said the current operational capacity of the boats of the Force covers the Demerara River between Timehri and Georgetown.
It was also pointed out that a boat was currently being made available for the Police in ‘G’ Division in the Essequibo River and that the police currently have a boat at Charity and another at Wakenaam. These, he said, were supported by two boats owned by the Community Policing Groups (CPGs) in those areas.
Patrols are also done using a boat based at Bartica with the support of the Community Policing Group.