APNU Condemns Reckless Discharge of High-Powered Rifle by Police Rank in Region 1

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The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has publicly condemned a recent incident involving a serving member of the Guyana Police Force in Region number 1, who was captured on video brandishing and recklessly discharging a high-powered rifle into a public roadway. The footage, which has since gone viral on social media, has raised serious concerns about law and order under the current administration.

In a statement, the APNU described the incident as a harrowing display of the dangers citizens face from those sworn to protect them. They characterized the act as not merely an instance of individual misconduct but as indicative of a broader crisis within the security sector. The organization pointed to the brazen nature of the act—occurring in a populated area and requiring intervention from bystanders to restrain the officer—as a troubling sign of the indiscipline that has permeated the police force.

“This event is symptomatic of a deeper crisis plaguing our security sector,” the statement read. It emphasized the systemic failures in the vetting, training, and supervision of police ranks, factors the APNU attributes to the politicization and mismanagement of the Guyana Police Force by the current PPP government. They expressed that officers behaving like vigilantes in the streets is a direct indictment of the leadership at the Ministry of Home Affairs, noting that the culture of impunity is eroding public trust.

The APNU is demanding more than a standard internal investigation into the shooting. Instead, they are calling for an urgent, independent review of the operational command and psychological fitness of ranks assigned to regional divisions. “Citizens deserve a police force that operates with professionalism and restraint,” the statement asserted, adding that the reckless actions of the officer endangered innocent lives.

The party has placed accountability directly on the Minister of Home Affairs and the Commissioner of Police, urging them to provide a credible plan to restore discipline within the force to protect public safety before more lives are jeopardized.

Sherod Duncan, M.P., APNU Shadow Minister of Home Affairs, underscores the urgency of the situation as the call for reform intensifies.

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