Neighbourhood Security being examined.

Khemraj Rai

A one-day workshop to examine ways of determining the level of security in neighbourhoods under the IDB-funded Citizen Security Programme (CSP) has opened at the Grand Coastal Inn, Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara.

Project Coordinator of the CSP Khemraj Rai today told the media that the workshop was intended to develop indicators for measuring safe neighbourhoods.

The formulation of indicators is a regional standardization project and the outcomes from the local activity will be inputted into that wider effort.

“Guyana’s representation here means that when the region has come up with its indicators there would be indicators that relevant directly to Guyana. That is what we expect at the end of this workshop, that we would have indicators in our possession that reflects the status in Guyana and we may also be able to adopt some indicators from other countries that we think are relevant,” Rai said.

Among the indicators to be standardized are the homicide rate per 100,000 persons; traffic injuries/death rate per 100,000 persons; suicide rate per 100 persons older than five years; firearm deaths per 100,000 persons and; robbery and theft rate of vehicles per 10,000 registered vehicles.

Tuesday’s workshop drew participants from the Home Affairs Ministry, the Georgetown Public Hospital, the Guyana Police Force, the Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Local Government.

The CSP is aimed at ensuring security of the populace through the modernisaton of the police force and community involvement.