Latest update April 20th, 2024 12:59 AM
Dec 16, 2016 Editorial, Features / Columnists
Every day someone is attacked and robbed in Guyana yet the police are telling the people that serious crime has reduced. Whatever the police data suggests, murders and robberies are as common as garbage in the streets, the air we breathe and the useless police data.
If indeed there is a decline in serious crimes then one can only imagine what the situation was in the recent past.
There is, once again, a rising tide of concern about the increase in murders across our land. The calls are for an end to the atrocities of what is happening in the country. Seemingly, the vast majority of people believe in and support the police, but if they were to accept the Police data that crime has reduced, then they have to believe that the daily reports of murders and armed robberies in this publication and other media are wrong.
Society has denounced the brutality of criminals and while many have condemned their actions, we must be reminded that criminals are the products of our society. Crime pays in our country.
From violent blue collar crime to sophisticated white collar corruption and fraud, crime pays and pays well. That is why we have so much crime in so many areas of the country. The crime storm in Guyana should be no surprise as criminals follow the money and the vulnerable.
Police and society must join forces to put an end to the obviously horrendous shootings, murders and armed robberies before they sink the country into the abyss. However, we cannot totally delude ourselves into believing that the police can suppress violence for long by merely locking-up the criminals.
The root causes of crime run deep, through the communities of the rich and powerful, down through the communities of the poor and the powerless. Studies have shown that joblessness, poverty and drugs are some of the root causes of crime. In Guyana we may safely add an absence of academic ability and reasoning.
The statistics on crime are designed to convince the nervous public that the police are winning the war on crime. It may not seem so but there is a 30 percent increase in catching the criminals after a crime is committed.
The government has to get to the root causes of the problem. The citizens are depending on the authorities for their safety. In fact, all stakeholders must be aware of the seriousness and gravity of gun violence.
For the police to say that crime is under control is an understatement that does not sit well with the people, especially the Cambio dealer, Davendra Churaman of Number 79 Village, who was robbed of $21 million in cash and jewelry by armed bandits. It is the responsibility of the government to provide safety to the people.
The Constitution guarantees the right to life, liberty and security of the person. Equally, there must be a greater effort on the part of the public to treat the issue of gun violence and crimes more seriously.
Having illegal guns placed into wrong hands is dangerous and every citizen must take a stand and report anyone who illegally carries a weapon to law enforcement, be it family member, friend or neighbor. While it is very difficult to stop crime completely, we must make the streets unsafe for criminals and rebuild public confidence that the streets are safe. We should take no comfort that Guyana has become one of the crime capitals of the world.It is time for action.
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
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