I am convinced that if Guyanese were asked on a national survey in the New Year what were the most pressing concerns in 2016 the answer would be the crime wave followed by economic downturns. Thumbing through the pages in the dailies, surfing the internet and communicating with Guyanese convinced me further that crime was not only central to, 2016 but crime and criminality will also continue in 2017. The latter point is not a whisper but ominous news, which some in the political divide will find a bitter pill to swallow.
Every day, every week and every month, Guyanese from myriad backgrounds, experience, feel, read, you name it, the wrath of crime on their lives. If you are not familiar with Guyana and you read the dailies, social media and speak to anyone, you would think that Guyana is in a war zone, battling demons of sorts. The headlines in the dailies are so chilling that they would force an average person to apply for a gun, to join or form vigilante groups, to avoid the Police or run for cover. Tons of overseas Guyanese have abandoned Guyana, fearing they would be a victim of crime if they visit.
Yet, the Police Force is under the impression that it has made significant inroads in combating crime and stated that serious crime has experienced a downward spiral. Unfortunately, this delusional information has not swayed public opinion that the Police Force is at a loss as to what and how to bring crime down to satisfactorily levels. The United States Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security, an international respected agency, says the following about the crime situation in Guyana for last year.
“Criminal activity continues to be a major threat, particularly aggravated robberies. Serious crimes, including murder and armed robbery, are common, especially in suburban areas and the interior regions. The most recent information from the United Nations Office on drugs and Crime lists Guyana’s 2012 homicide as 17 per 100,000 – the fourth highest murder rate in South America (behind Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil). Guyana’s murder rate is three times higher than that of the United States.”
The extended report is intended to inform Americans and overseas travellers and therefore has omitted the local lingo that Guyanese use to define crime. <<<Guyana Times>>> columnist Ravi Dev fills the gap succinctly when he writes that crimes in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s were known as Choke and Rob, Kick-down-the Door, Urban-Guerrilla warfare, Resistance and Death Squads, respectively. What would be the label for crime in the next decade is not certain, but there is something sinister about crime in 2016 that forces one to ask: How come crime increased so much since the new regime came in power less than two years ago? Is the new regime finding it difficult to provide a safe environment for all Guyanese? How come implemented crime-solving plans seem to be ineffective? Has Guyana reached the label of a criminalised state that it is impossible to reverse this crime status in the short-term? Is the regime listening to what the people have to say about crime? If so, what exactly is the regime listening to?
No Police Force is perfect and no one expects the Police Force to stop crime altogether, but tangible progress must be seen towards ensuring public safety. The President has instilled some confidence in this regard by standing firm against pardoning convicted felons for serious crimes, a decision that was no doubt influenced by public outcry. The expectation is that this trajectory should continue.
There is, of course, more to be done, starting with clarity on the crime situation. The public has been caught in a web of confusion. The Government’s daily newspaper proudly speaks of “the continuous monthly reduction in serious crimes is testimony to the excellent collaboration among the many stakeholders and public at large, coupled with strategies employed by the force.” This is an ambitious declaration that does not stand up to scrutiny when the evidence shows that crimes occur within a stone’s throw from Police Stations, when Police response time is always hours late, and when stakeholders have now extended their personal private security. Troubling, and in one sentence, the Police Force appears to be less pro-active and more post-active in crime fighting strategies, which is like putting the cart before the horse. This approach does not bode well for public safety and the clarion call is that the Police should probe deeper into root causes of crime, develop sounder crime strategies, and the communities must support the Police to stamp criminality. Guyana’s national security team must be reminded that all citizens, I argue, would prefer this adage: it is better to be above rather than below ground.
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