Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) Leader Amanza Walton has called for urgent parliamentary intervention to establish a Disciplined Forces Commission, warning that growing public distrust of the Guyana Police Force is becoming a serious threat to public safety and confidence in the rule of law.
Walton disclosed in a November 11, 2026 press release that she had filed a motion, seconded by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul, seeking parliamentary action towards constituting the Commission.
The motion proposes that a Special Select Committee report to the National Assembly on the steps necessary to establish the body.
In a pointed assessment of policing in Guyana, Walton said citizens are increasingly losing confidence in an institution whose fundamental responsibility is to protect them.
“The Guyana Police Force is charged with protecting the people of this country. Yet today, many Guyanese feel that they have more to fear from the police than from the criminals. That is a devastating indictment on the state of policing in Guyana.”
She raised particular concern about the safety of people taken into police custody, stressing that the State assumes responsibility for their welfare once they are detained.
“No family should have to fear that their loved one will enter a police station alive and leave dead.”
Walton also questioned the credibility of police statements in cases where information subsequently emerging publicly appears to contradict official accounts. She argued that the tendency to focus on alleged leaks avoids the more fundamental question of why citizens feel compelled to bring information into the public domain.
“When the public believes that the truth is being concealed, trust breaks down,” she said.
The FGM leader and lone parliamentarian further raised concerns about accountability mechanisms when senior police officers face allegations of serious offences, including sexual assault and rape. While emphasising that every allegation must be investigated fairly and that the rights of all parties must be respected, she insisted that rank must not shield anyone from scrutiny.
“Guyanese must have confidence that no officer is beyond scrutiny and that rank does not place anyone above the law.”
Walton warned that declining confidence in the Police Force has consequences for communities across the country. Citizens who fear or distrust the police may be less willing to report criminal activity, provide information or testify as witnesses, ultimately weakening efforts to combat crime.
She also linked public confidence in policing to Guyana’s economic future, arguing that efforts to attract investment and encourage members of the diaspora to return home cannot succeed without safety and trust in the institutions responsible for enforcing the law.
The MP questioned what has become of the considerable public resources and international support committed to police reform over the years, and why serious concerns about policing continue to persist.
“We must ask what has been done with those resources, why serious problems persist and what must change.”
Walton pointed to the National Assembly’s 2003 approval of a Disciplined Forces Commission, when priority was directed towards the Guyana Police Force. She argued that Parliament’s responsibility to address the state of policing remains pressing and must now be acted upon.
Her motion seeks to have a Special Select Committee examine and report on the steps required to establish the Commission, placing the issue before lawmakers for consideration.
Walton said the objective must be to ensure that citizens can approach the police for protection without fear, while officers who serve honourably work within an institution that enforces accountability and maintains professional standards.
Walton ended by insisting that Parliament can no longer delay action, declaring that it must act to restore public confidence in the Guyana Police Force.
