No space for excuses or lack of accountability – Pres Ali to cops

…as 5000 body cameras handed over to Police Force

In a major step toward modernising law enforcement and enhancing public trust, the Government of Guyana has handed over 5,000 high-tech body cameras to the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
According to President Dr Irfaan Ali, this initiative forms part of a broader national strategy to increase transparency, accountability, and service efficiency across policing operations.

At a formal ceremony on Tuesday morning, the Head of State was joined by Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken, Deputy Commissioner Ravindradat Budhram, and other senior security officials to mark the rollout of the new equipment.
The newly acquired body cameras boast cutting-edge features including, IP67 rating for rugged, dustproof, and waterproof use up to six feet, Wi-Fi, Long Term Evolution (LTE), and 4G streaming capabilities, 256 gigabytes of storage, with five hours of native battery life or up to ten hours with an extended battery, mounting versatility for use on uniforms or in vehicles and full integration with existing national surveillance networks.
The technology aims to support real-time monitoring, incident traceability, and evidentiary integrity while promoting responsible conduct by both officers and citizens.
In his address at the handing-over ceremony, President Ali emphasised that the deployment of the cameras marks an essential point in the evolution of the police, noting that there is no space for excuses or lack of accountability.
“A big part of improving service delivery is monitoring and evaluation, transparency and accountability, but also at the same time, giving our police officers, our men and women in uniform, the tools to make their job easier…But it also gives us an opportunity to have what I always speak about, that is traceability. Traceability of behaviour, conduct from the citizenry and also from the police”.
“So, there is absolutely no excuse whatsoever from the Guyana Police Force of our men and women in the field not having, not being equipped with these cameras when conducting their duties and responsibilities,” the President said.
The Guyanese leader also outlined plans to expand the use of roadside surveillance cameras, speed-monitoring systems, artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted traffic enforcement technologies, and mobile highway response units equipped for rapid deployment—components of a broader, technology-driven national crime prevention and enforcement strategy.
“I want to assure you that we will continue to work with the Guyana Police Force in building out its capacity and capability, training our men and women in uniform in a service-oriented way. In a way in which the experience between the citizenry and the Guyana Police Force can be developed into one of trust, confidence and one in which we support each other with the primary objective of keeping our citizens and our country safe,” he added.
Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn echoed the President’s remarks, reiterating the Government’s ongoing commitment to improving the lives of Guyanese through enhanced safety, better service delivery, and citizen-focused policing.
“We are aware that even where there may be deficiencies and human failings, that the question of technology could add to the certitude of delivering service that our citizens require and to build trust and confidence in respect of the work that we do in improving the lives of our citizens,” Benn noted.
This is the third batch of body cameras procured by the Government to improve the capabilities of the GPF. Back in January, some 500 body cameras were purchased.
In 2024, a whopping $44.8 billion had been approved for the Ministry of Home Affairs. The sum of $30.3 billion was approved for the GPF, of this total $5 billion was set aside for rehabilitation of Police stations, while sums had also been budgeted for the procurement of some 300 body cameras for Police ranks.
Since the implementation of the new tech among ranks, GPF has noted a decline in cases ranging from police misconduct and ranks being assaulted among other issues.