Pres. Ali: Police must tackle misinformation threat undermining investigations, fueling panic

President Dr Irfaan Ali has tasked regional security officials with developing a modern and effective information and communication strategy which would include approaches to tackling the threat of information.

According to the Guyanese Head of State, “in the context of crime and security, misinformation is not just an inconvenience, it is a threat.”

He was at the time delivering remarks at the opening ceremony of the Association of Caribbean Police Commissioners’ (ACCP) Annual General Meeting and Conference which is being held in Guyana from May 12 – 16.

The ACCP Conference brings together police commissioners and senior law enforcement officials from across the Caribbean to discuss regional security issues, foster collaboration, and develop strategic initiatives to address shared challenges.

President Ali noted that misinformation can undermine the credibility of police investigations, provoke panic and even put lives at risk.

“We must therefore we vigilant, we must strengthen the capacities of our media, our law enforcement and our communities to identify, counter and correct misinformation,” he emphasised.

President Ali further told the regional security officials that information sharing is now a critical part of their work.

In this regard, he encouraged that during the five-day conference, stakeholders must develop a clear strategy for communication and information sharing across the region.

“We are lacking greatly in the communications strategy because we have not invested, we have not seen this as a priority…because this was never looked at as a main aspect of our work. Today, we have seen how important effective communication is and you ought to address this at this conference,” he said.

Meanwhile, President Ali further noted that policing bodies must also hold accountable those who deliberately sow confusion and division for personal or political gain.

Only recently in Guyana, two persons were hauled before the courts and charged for their roles in spreading misinformation relating to the investigation into the death of 11-year-old Adriana Younge.