GUYANA MEDIA/POLICE REACH AGREEMENT

Police, media reach broad consensus on relations; key areas unresolved

THE Guyana Press Association (GPA) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) have reached broad consensus on most of the provisions of the latter's proposed protocol on relations between the media and the
police, the GPA has announced.

However, there are two areas of concern which still have not been resolved to the GPA's satisfaction and
which, as they stand, could adversely impact on the immediate delivery of accurate information.

The GPA said in a press release that the Commissioner of Police has assured that equipment and notes will not be seized from media practitioners, but he reiterated that he was opposed to the video-recording
of police ranks and officers on duty in Buxton, for fear of reprisals against them.

The GPA recognises the concern of the GPF, but still feels that the fears for the safety of the police
ranks could be dealt with in a manner less intrusive on the medias ability to perform its legitimate
functions. We also suggested that the police force should take steps to conceal the identity of officers
and ranks in volatile situations, the GPA said.

The engagement between the Police and the Press Association followed several reports by media houses
that a senior police officer had seized equipment from media operatives and had also threatened to arrest them while they were on duty in Buxton.

Prior to proposing protocol, the Guyana Police Force had several months ago assured that the media would be in a position to access information from Divisional Commanders.

But the proposed protocol states "All requests or queries from the news media should be referred to the
Public Relations Unit."

This, in our view, is a retrograde step, the press release said.

Notwithstanding the verbal assurances of the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Winston Felix at a meeting
held with the GPA late last month, the GPA said it does not find comfort in the fact that the protocol
seeks to formalise the limitation to the Public Relations Unit of the GPF, given experiences members
of the media have had with that Unit.

The GPA also informed the Commissioner of Police and his accompanying officers that it disagreed with the provision that states "If information related to such an inquiry is related to a forthcoming news release intended for all news media, the reporter making the inquiry will be so informed."

This concern arises against the background of the media's experiences that, at times, they have had to
await news releases beyond printing and broadcast deadlines for information about incidents occurring
early in the day or the day before.

While the current Commissioner of Police and his Divisional Commanders will be willing to accommodate
enquiries from the media, the GPA is unconvinced that their successors will not take refuge in the wording of the protocol and be as willing to facilitate the media outside the formal protocol. The GPA is of the opinion that those policemen can resort to referring all enquiries to the Public Relations Unit.

The Commissioner of Police said he was willing to address the concerns raised by the GPA and, in turn,
the association said it would allow for a three-month period to ascertain how Divisional Commanders will
respond to enquiries by journalists, reporters and editors.

The GPA, meanwhile, welcomed the Police's efforts to speedily disseminate news release by e-mail.