Police have seized four pieces of siren equipment valued at more than $2 million from vehicles linked to a contractor, a private security company, a Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit staff member and another individual, Traffic Chief, Assistant Commissioner Mahendra Singh, has disclosed.
Speaking on the Starting Point Podcast, Singh said the equipment was removed during the seven days preceding the interview as police pursued the unauthorised use of sirens.
The items have been retained as evidence for anticipated court proceedings. Singh did not identify the individuals involved or indicate that charges had already been filed.
“In the past seven days, I have had four pieces of the equipment valued more than $2 million,” he said.
“Those equipment are lodged for production in evidence in court when they eventually are charged.”
Singh was responding to questions about the continued presence of sirens in private vehicles and the steps police were taking to address the practice.
He said surveillance cameras, reports from members of the public and information from the motor vehicle registration database were helping investigators identify vehicles and establish who owned them.
Reports submitted through the Road Watch application were also contributing to that work, he said.
According to Singh, observations of vehicles displaying lights associated with emergency equipment can provide leads for further checks into whether they also carry sirens.
The information gathered has allowed police to compile a list of vehicles for attention. Singh declined to disclose registration numbers during the interview.
“I know who I’m looking for. With help from the motor vehicle database, I can tell who owns the vehicle,” he said.
The Traffic Chief maintained that the seizures demonstrated that police were taking action, even where enforcement required officers to locate vehicles and physically remove the equipment.
He described unauthorised siren use as contrary to the law and identified police vehicles, fire service vehicles and ambulances as the categories covered by the provisions.
Asked specifically about Guyana Defence Force vehicles, Singh said he had not seen them included in the orders to which he was referring.
The disclosure came during a wider discussion about traffic enforcement and the growing use of technology to detect offences on the country’s roads.
Singh said cameras were helping police identify conduct that previously depended heavily on officers being physically present to observe it.
However, the siren cases still require follow-up to locate the vehicles, recover the equipment and prepare evidence for court.
