In light of the daily increase in robberies and petty thefts at the Bourda Market, vendors who ply their trade there are calling for streetlights to be positioned in the area very soon, so as to provide some level of security.
When Guyana Times visited the area on Thursday, many indicated that the Orange Walk entrance section of the market is prone to having robbers in the night due to the area being dimly lit.
Arif Kahn, who operates a vegetable and fruits stall, explained that the area is opened on a 24h basis, which indicates that persons are traversing that zone every night. As such, many robbers would use the opportunity of the lighting
A section of the Bourda Market
situation to relieve people of their valuables.
“The thing is, we have a norm where, in the night, people getting rob all the time, plenty people. When this happen, you hardly see them back, ‘cause they frighten to come again. Last night they carry way a lady bag,” a vendor explained.
He noted that because of this, the victims cannot identify the perpetrators when they’re apprehended by the Police or City Constabulary officers. Hence, they’re put back on the road to continue the illegal activities.
“We have small lights yeah, but that can’t do anything, ‘cause you can’t see far with that. Now, when the Police catch them, it so dark that you can’t tell is who,” another vendor said.
A neighbouring vendor commented, “It’s true. This is something that they got to look into. It’s very dangerous for us and for people.”
He further stated that the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has promised them that lights would be placed along identified sections of the trading area. However, the area is still in need of the lights.
Along with the placement of more streetlights, the vendors are also requesting the presence of additional security ranks at locations where robberies frequently occur.
A few months ago, the City Constabulary had pinpointed the Stabroek and Bourda Markets as “criminal hotspots” after numerous criminal activities has occurred in the area over some time.
Just recently, Chief Constable Andrew Foo revealed that the areas are now considered as key areas for tourists and foreigners to be relieved of their belongings on a daily basis.
Foo noted that while these persons — mostly Cubans and Venezuelans — are the main targets, there are citizens who are marked by these criminals. Meanwhile, the Chief Constable also informed this publication that the network of robbers usually operates in gangs, using cellphones as the main medium of communication to divulge information.
