The Commander of Regional Division 4 ‘A’, Assistant Commissioner Simon McBean was loud in praise for the ranks of his division for what he posits as hard work despite the circumstances in keeping crime at an all time low.
The Commander was at the time addressing the gathering at the division’s Awards Ceremony and Thanksgiving Service on Friday December 17, 2021 on the forecourt of the Brickdam Police Station.
“Despite our challenges, we still had to police our major Urban City which possesses limitless opportunities and targets for the commission of crimes. As the records show, the Division accounts for over 40% of the country’s crime, yet we have responded well. I take this opportunity to congratulate you all. While the entire Police Force is experiencing a 21. % decrease in Serious Crimes comparative to 2020, Region 4A is experiencing a 46% decrease. The lowest recorded rate for this region within the last 10 years. We are also experiencing a 49.1% decrease in street crimes, which is one of the areas that has been plaguing us,” the Commander revealed.
He went on, “In the area of Traffic, Region 4A is experiencing a 3.4 % decrease of fatal accidents compared to 2020,” said Commander McBean.
The Commander then lauded the ranks of the Division directly and further explained the rationale behind the accomplishments in his Division.
“These feats could not have been achieved without your dedication and hard work, and I want to thank you for your support. You have investigated over 16,693 reports which resulted in over 3,639 persons being charged criminally. The traffic department is responsible for over 5,174 persons taken before the court for traffic violations. The Division was also responsible for removing 23 illegal firearms from the streets. Regarding illegal drugs, we also found 28.678 kg of Cannabis and 12 grams of cocaine”, he stated.
“Some persons may ask what is responsible for the steep decrease in our serious crimes”, the Commander mused and then provided his answer.
“The first and simple answer to this is that we are more visible. We were able to put out 15,276 patrols this year in comparison to 6,388 for 2020, which is a 140.% increase in our patrols. This coupled with a significant increase in our intelligence-led raids and roadblock have contributed significantly to our decrease in crime.”
“The second, and most grateful answer is that these achievements could not have also been possible without the Government and Police Force’s support and guidance. When I took over the helm of this Division, we had 4 vehicles and 6 motorcycles for anticrime purpose. At present we have 14 vehicles and 33 motorcycles for anticrime purposes. This increase in vehicular fleet puts us in a better position to execute our policing plan. We are more visible, hence acting as a deterrent to crime, reassuring the public and aiding in the reduction of crime and fear of crime. We have also shortened our response time. For this, I would like to thank our Minister of Home Affairs for his guidance and government’s support, and the commissioner of Police for his leadership and support from his Administrative Team”, said McBean.
In addressing the challenges the Division faced with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the devastating fire that ravished the headquarters of the Division, the Commander noted that dedication and perseverance of the ranks helped to weather the storm and continue providing the services the people of Georgetown needed.
“2021 has been a challenging year for policing in Region 4 A, with the continued challenges posed by Covid-19 coupled with the growing fear of street crimes in Georgetown through social media sensationalizion, and the devastating fire on Saturday, October 2, that changed all of our lives. However, we have weathered the storm. I must be honest, when I came to the scene and saw the magnitude of the fire, I thought it would have pushed us to breaking point. But, due to the commitment and dedication to service, we were able to provide our usual services to the public with minimum disruptions. There were expectations that without the Brickdam Police Station our service delivery would have dropped. I could recall during the night of the fire, I received a call saying “Commander, how come Brickdam burn down and we still have Covid -19 patrol locking up people tonight”,” he revealed to loud applause from the gathering which included the Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Robeson Benn, Commissioner of Police Nigel Hoppie, Deputy Commissioner “Operations” Clifton Hicken, Deputy Commissioner “Administration” Calvin Brutus, Deputy Commissioner “Law Enforcement” Wendell Blanhum, Regional Division #5 Commander Senior Superintendent Kurleigh Simon other members of the Force, business and religious communities.
Award Ceremony in Region 4A, dates back to the late 90s and has grown exponentially over the years. This Award Ceremony is used annually as a platform to motivate ranks by rewarding outstanding performances and also to thank its civilian arm (Community Policing Groups and Station Management Committees) for their sterling support.
It is customary for the award ceremony to be accompanied by a brunch, where officers take the opportunity of feeding their juniors. However, Covid-19, coupled with the results of the devastating fire have caused the Division to alter its tradition. Instead of dining in a big cluster, meals were delivered to the stations. This ceremony focused on thanking the Supreme Being for bringing them through the year and recognising staff for outstanding performances.
