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Aug 08, 2015 Editorial, Features / Columnists
It is time to call a spade a spade. Guyana has unfortunately become a crime-ridden country, especially in terms of murders and armed robberies. Almost every day innocent citizens, including the elderly, are being robbed and killed by bandits who have very little or no regard for the sanctity of life.
Today, as in the past, the issue of crime is of greatest concern to the vast majority of the population. With this knowledge, the government, especially the Minister of Public Security, has embarked on several initiatives which it is hoped, will impact upon the disconcerting crime wave within the next few months.
The fact of the matter is, however, that the Government alone cannot fight and solve crime, everyone has to be involved. What this means more than anything else, is that, the citizens need to be united in the fight against this scourge which has inflicted so much pain, sorrow and economic loss on the country. Reducing crime will also bring home the legions of Guyanese who want to live and do business in their homeland but fear the untamed wrath of the gun.
We are confident that bipartisan agreement to de-politicize crime can be achieved in the same way that the politicians from the two major political parties put aside their differences at times to pass meaningful legislation in Parliament. If the saying that ‘in unity lies strength’ is true, then they can put their best minds to work on a framework that outlines a specific agenda to de-politicize crime. It should be clear to the Minister of Public Security, the Commissioner of Police, the opposition and the citizens, that crime fighting should be the number one priority for all, and that a more professional, efficient and competent police force must be assembled to fight crime.
Real reform to the security system has been almost impossible in recent years. Petty differences in opinion have led us down the wrong path. There have been arguments by some that the reduction of crime was not a priority. In fact, the so-called fight was in such limbo that the hardcore bandits were allowed to roam the streets freely. Perhaps this was another element of the “death squad” that Sean Hinds spoke about. The powers that be dropped the ball at a crucial period.
The administrators will depend heavily on the support of the public to fight crime. The relationship must improve. The Minister of Public Security has promised to revamp and expand the witness protection programme. Additionally, the government has pledged to hire more police officers, invest in more vehicles and technology, reform the force, provide better training for new recruits, increase salaries, and seek assistance from foreign governments, especially the United States, Britain and Canada.
Under the purview of the new Ministry of Public Security, to which it is expected billions of tax dollars will be committed in the upcoming budget, there is a clear mandate to reform not only the security system but also the failing criminal justice system, and the archaic and unproductive existing operation of the prisons, which continues to provide a fertile ground for the sale of illegal drugs – a snippet of which was evident a few days ago when a prison officer was arrested for allegedly having a sizeable amount of marijuana in his possession.
Whatever reforms are implemented, we hope that there will be genuine bipartisan support, resulting in positive and meaningful changes and noticeable improvements across the board. The government seems to be acting with a fair degree of urgency. We are seeing the results of such action—the arrest of several dangerous criminals and the breaking-up of criminal gangs. It must be emphasised, however, that only a united front can achieve the desired control over crime.
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