GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – The Guyana government says it is considering introducing innovative measures, including ankle monitoring systems, as it seeks to strengthen interventions against domestic violence.

Home Affairs Minister, Oneidge Walrond, spoke of  the key strategies now  being considered aimed at ensuring greater safety, accountability and support for victims of domestic violence.

Walrond said that an ankle monitoring bracelet would allow authorities to track the movements of offenders in a proactive approach, sending real-time automated alerts if the individual approaches a restricted area or comes close to a victim.

“We have a mandate as a government from the people to deliver to them a safe and secure country. People want to feel secure and have that standard of living where they’re able to walk down the street with their children and not have to worry,”  she said, noting that the Safe City Initiative uses facial recognition, vehicle tracking, and licence plate recognition to aid in investigations.

This has resulted in a faster response from authorities in ongoing investigations and was designed to make communities safer, playing a crucial part in crime prevention and Waldron  highlighting the importance of an alert app that works like a panic button.

Walrond noted that although these strategies will be implemented, there is still a need to build trust between citizens and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to have transparency and accountability in every step.

“People want to feel that there is a police force that I can trust and that cares and that will respond to me,” she said.