The Guyana Police Force (GPF) is expected to begin taking police reports digitally within the next six months as part of an aggressive modernization drive aimed at transforming the organization into a fully paperless, technology-driven law enforcement agency.
Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken made the disclosure during the latest edition of the programme Police Roundup, where senior officers outlined sweeping reforms currently underway within the force to improve professionalism, efficiency, accountability, and operational readiness.
“At a conference, in my speech, and I said that within the four to six months, we’ll be taking reports by a computer,” Hicken stated. “And that’s the direction we need to go. And so, we are in the process of digitizing the entire force.”
According to the Commissioner, the move is part of the force’s 2027-2031 strategic plan, which will place heavy emphasis on technology, innovation, and adaptability as policing evolves in response to increasingly sophisticated forms of crime.
“Technology is what is ruling the world, that prevails in every atmosphere within the hemisphere,” Hicken said. “And so, we cannot run away from technology, we cannot move away from technology. It is now central to modern police in the Guyana Police Force.”
He explained that the force has already decentralized its Zara Computer Centres across the country to ensure ranks in every division are equipped with computer literacy skills necessary for evidence-based policing and digital operations.
“That’s why in our 2027-2031 strategic plan, currently being developed, introduces a dedicated pillar on technology, innovation, and adaptability,” the Commissioner said.
“We have also decentralized all our ZARA computer centers to ensure…that ranks in all the divisions have access to computer literacy training as we strengthen evidence-based policing through technology.”
The modernization push is being spearheaded through the Guyana Police Force Academy, where ranks are now being trained in traditional policing techniques as well as in technology, emotional intelligence, conflict management, and foreign languages.
Technological competence
Head of the academy, Senior Superintendent Sonia Herbert, said the institution recognized the urgent need to improve technological competence among officers ahead of the force’s planned transition to paperless operations.
“For starters, we have the core courses that are going on, and these are designed for constables to inspectors,” Herbert explained.
“And so we have designed the curriculum in such a way that not only are we focusing on the normal policing courses and programs that would aid police to better do their job day to day, but we also included things like computer studies because I realized that there are a lot of ranks across the board that are not computer literate and I thought that it’s necessary for persons to be computer literate.”
She said the decision has proven timely given the Commissioner’s announcement regarding digital reporting systems.
“It’s a good thing that we took that initiative because recently the commissioner of police has indicated that we will soon be moving to a paperless police force and we’ll be taking reports on computers and so on,” Herbert stated
“And so we will infuse that some more into our training across the board from the recruitment level all the way up to officers.”
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