By: Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly News |
Minister of Home Affairs, Gail Teixeira-Walrond, has issued a stern warning to members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), declaring that misconduct, malpractice, and abuse of authority will not be tolerated as the country faces rising crime and increasing national security demands.
Speaking at the GPF’s Christmas Awards Ceremony on Friday, the minister emphasized that Guyana’s rapid economic expansion, heightened mobility, and evolving criminal networks require a modern, well-trained, and technologically advanced police force. With these demands, she said, comes a higher responsibility to uphold the public’s confidence.
“We must confront an uncomfortable truth: public trust is fragile,” Minister Walrond said. “One act of misconduct can undo months of hard work. Yet one act of honesty or compassion can restore the confidence of an entire community.”
She noted that the force has seen both exceptional service and troubling incidents this year — officers who displayed exemplary professionalism, and others whose behavior “cast a dark shadow over the entire institution.”
“There will be zero tolerance for malpractice, abuse of authority, or any behavior that dishonors this uniform. Every officer must commit to the higher standards of integrity, accountability, and service. The people of Guyana deserve nothing less.”
Her remarks come in the wake of recent high-profile cases of police indiscipline, most notably the situation involving a Region One police constable who was remanded to prison after a viral video showed him intoxicated, brandishing an AK-47, firing shots in public, and issuing threats to civilians.
The footage, widely shared on social media, depicted the rank wearing civilian clothes while recklessly discharging the weapon, prompting public outrage and renewed calls for stricter oversight and psychological screening within the force.
Minister Walrond reiterated that the transformation of the Guyana Police Force must accelerate if it is to match the country’s growth and citizens’ expectations.
