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President Irfaan Ali at Friday’s press conference. (DPI)
Guyana is moving towards a national security system that is integrated and technology-driven, featuring smart police stations, artificial intelligence-powered crime prediction tools and full CCTV coverage across the country by 2030, President Irfaan Ali has said.
The president made the comments during a news conference at the Office of the President on Friday.
“What do we mean by this? It means that the normal traditional front desk offices are not required, but confidence must be there,” the president explained.
He said the smart police stations will operate 24/7 through AI-powered systems, online crime reporting, digital service delivery, integrated national databases and real-time command and control capabilities.
“Everything that we’re doing in building out this system is geared towards enhancing citizens’ trust in the security architecture and infrastructure,” the president said.
He said that under the system, citizens will not be required to visit physical police stations to access clearance services. He added that kiosks will be placed in key locations to reduce the current two-to-three-hour waiting times.
The president said the government is also investing in artificial intelligence for predictive security, including facial recognition, behavioural analytics, automated threat detection and smart surveillance.
He said speed and trap cameras have already been deployed on public roads using AI and are capable of generating instant reports on repeat traffic offenders, which can be sent directly to the judicial system.
He said a mobile unit pilot programme has also been completed, with vehicles used to move through communities and identify vehicles with outstanding infractions. He said that in one night on the East Coast, more than 250 vehicles with outstanding infractions were identified.
“No human can interfere with the system because the system would pick them up, document it on a screen, and put it in a database,” he said.
The national surveillance component under the Safe Country programme will expand CCTV coverage to all regions by 2030 and include an intelligent traffic management network within the broader security system.
The architecture is designed to be interoperable with regional and international allies, and the government has also committed to investments in digital passports and digital ID cards as part of an information-sharing framework based on coordinated security approaches.
