Bad behaviour, misconduct will not be rewarded – Home Affairs Minister

…says “bright time” for young people to enter Joint Forces

As the Guyana Government continues to invest billions of dollars into local law enforcement agencies to enhance capacity and professionalism in order to better service the public, Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond has made it clear that there is no place for officers who engage in misconduct.

“There has to be an understanding that bad behaviour is not rewarded, that misconduct is not rewarded,” Walrond declared during a recent appearance on the Starting Point podcast.

At the time, the home Affairs minister was talking about her desire to see the institutionalisation of integrity within the Joint Services.

She emphasised that, “Every police officer should conduct their job with integrity and professionalism. And I believe that we are on our way there.”

One way this is being achieved, the Minister explained, is through the promotion requirements. Officers are no longer promoted based on their years of service, but on standards such as their quality of service delivered, their disciplinary records and their skillsets – all of which are key in demonstrating leadership capability.

“I believe that if that there is any infraction from any police officer, it should be written up and put in their file. Because ultimately, a police officer wants to get to move up, because we are also creating a pathway for a career in the police force. We have engineers, lawyers, doctors, psychologists, mechanics; they can see themselves at a pathway to get for a career. But that ought not to come automatically, it should come on the basis of merit.”

“And so, the idea now is to keep a standard that is clear, that is not based on who you know, and who knows you, but a standard of which all police officers can attain to. And it helps with morale as well, that ‘okay, if I know that if I do this, I comply, I can get promoted. Or if I don’t, it will go against my record’,” Walrond asserted.

Not a story of misconduct

The Home Affairs minister went onto to disclose that this year alone, more police officers have faced the courts than ever before. While noting that some of these are personal cases, that is, not relating to their professional work, Walrond contended that the story of Guyana’s Discipline Forces should not be one of misconduct.

“There are many, many hard working and dedicated men and women in uniform. And the misconduct of a few should not overshadow the sacrifice of so many other officers. The issue of integrity continues to be something that I believe will transform our society in a way that money could never do,” she stated.

In fact, Minister Walrond further dismissed the notion of law enforcement officers accepting bribes has to do with their low salary, arguing instead it is the back of integrity and professionalism – something which the Government is working fervently on changing starting with the renumeration packages.

Back in November 2022, President Dr Irfaan Ali had introduced a range of sweeping salary increases for officers at various ranking within the Guyana Police Force (GPF), Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Fire Service (GFS).

Then in January 2025, the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces announced that all joint services rank at the lowest level will receive a basic salary of $130,000 – a move that resolved a longstanding issue of salary discrepancies among the various law enforcement agencies.

Additionally, President Ali announced a historic mass promotion of some 2,800 ranks in August 2025, recognising long-serving members of the Police Force at the lower and middle level.

The President had described this restructuring as a major institutional reform that puts performance and integrity at the centre of police advancement.

“We had people with more than 20 years of service retiring as Constables and Corporals [but not anymore],” the Head of State had noted, adding “If we catch anybody doing anything illegal, taking anything, you are not supposed to take, you are out of the post.”

Bright time for young people

According Minister Walrond, those promotions opened the pathway for more income for police officers than ever before. Added to the increase in salary, she outlined, is the access to a wide range of welfare services and benefits – both professional and personal.

In fact, the Home Affairs minister posited that more individuals are now seeing the benefits that can be had by joining the police force, or any other law enforcement agency. For instance, the GPF now has a complement of almost 8,000 officers.

“More and more people are beginning to see that there’s more desire to enter the police force because they’re seeing that this is a pathway for betterment… [But as] more people are trying to enter the police force, of course, we are keeping the standards in terms of education requirements and they are seeing that when they pursue their education, there’s an opportunity for promotion and a bigger salary.”

“So, this is a bright time for young people to come into the police force and they are earning and doing really well. Housing and welfare, all of those things are provided for and we continue to invest in the welfare of our police officers… The police officers and ranks are way, are much better off than they were many years ago. Welfare of our ranks should not be an afterthought and it continues to be something [that is] foremost in the mind of the Government as we expect them to go out there and to sacrifice,” Walrond declared.