Remarks by Deputy Chief of Mission Mark Cullinane
Launch of the CariSECURE Police Reporting Management Information System (PRMIS)
Thursday, July 18, 2019
Good Morning.
Thank you for being here today. I bring Ambassador Lynch’s best wishes for a successful launch this morning.
As we’re all no doubt aware, criminals become savvier every day, and their crimes more sophisticated, thanks to the ever-growing use of information technology. It is therefore imperative that law enforcement officials also make clever use of technology to optimize their work in stopping the illegal activities that cost this country and its people so much.
The U.S. Government is therefore very pleased to partner with the Government of Guyana on the CariSECURE Project, implemented by the United Nations Development Program.
CariSECURE is one component of our broader Youth Empowerment Services project, which seeks to reduce youth involvement in crime and violence. Today, the Guyana Police Force is making a significant stride closer to that goal.
To achieve this, access to real-time and disaggregated crime data is essential. Such data will equip police officials with the ability to conduct crime hot-spot mapping; victim and offender profiling; and intelligence gathering. These are just some of the crucial competencies that will empower police officers in their fight against crime.
The Police Reporting Management Information System, or “PRMIS,” we are launching this morning will assist with advancing the Guyana Police Force into 21st century policing. PRMIS will shift the police away from paper-based crime recording, resulting in greater efficiency through this customized digital reporting process. In addition to the new system, police officials will also be trained in crime analysis.
In the coming months, CariSECURE will establish an integrated system that connects key criminal justice agencies, which policymakers will use to effectively allocate national resources, and develop programs that result in positive outcomes.
As important as installing these new systems is their maintenance. To that end, we are pleased that the Government of Guyana, the Regional Security System and CARICOM IMPACS plan to jointly share this burden and ensure the systems stay in peak condition long beyond the end of the project.
We look forward to hearing about the outcomes of this new system in Albert Town and Fort Wellington Police Stations, and the expansion of PRMIS across all police stations in the near future.
I am confident that these efforts will result in more effective national policies and approaches to crime and violence, and a safer, more prosperous Guyana.
In closing, on behalf of Ambassador Lynch, I’d like to congratulate the Government of Guyana, and the Guyana Police Force on this important milestone. I also commend Minister Ramjattan for his leadership and continued support of CariSECURE and USAID’s Youth projects.
Thank you.
