Councillor concerned over high crime rate in Zeelugt

Councillor of Constituency Number Four, Zeelugt, Poorandai Sukhu on Tuesday vented her frustration over the village’s alarming crime rate, which she claimed is not being addressed by the Police Division.
Sukhu told Guyana Times she is certain a robbery occurs at least every three days in the community.
It is due to this fact that the Councillor noted that the matter was brought to the attention of the D Division (West Demerara-Essequibo Islands) Commander, who only reportedly committed to meeting with the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) members in June, but never showed up.
“The crime rate is very very high. Extremely high I would say because is like every

night someone house is (being) broken into. Every night…,” she said.
Sukhu said on Monday night a villager’s house was broken into and several items were discovered missing. “One week prior to that they went in his shop and clean the entire shop with all the goods and everything and couple days after, they went back there. Earlier in the month they went to a supermarket in the village also,” she stated.
The Councillor said despite reports are being made of these incidents to the Police, little or nothing is being done to remedy or even investigate the occurrences.
According to her, a number of reports were made by villagers to police stations, which is often to no avail.
“I know of (a case) where one resident caught a thief man in his veranda and called the Police and the thief man claimed that he was going there to look for something to eat (because) he is very hungry and after two (or) three days, the Police loose him,” she explained. The woman said the crime rate is so high and has become so scary that many times persons are forced to stay away from family activities and forums because whenever the home is left unattended, the thieves take advantage. It is because of the same reason, she said, that persons are now refraining from wandering on the streets after dark.
“This is really frustrating. Persons should not have to live like this in fear. The Police ought to look into our worries,” she added.
The Councillor added, “where I am living in my street, this is about seven days ago, they went in (somebody’s home), break the window and those people were in their house sleeping. They carried away bottles of water, them two litre bottles thinking it was kero and they carry away that. Carry away the fan and even the people groceries.”
Meanwhile, when contracted, Divisional Commander Rishi Das dismissed the claims made by the Councillor. He said he was never contacted to attend any meeting by the NDC.
“Nobody never invite me to meet with the members of Zeelugt (NDC). I did Community meetings in West Demerara Station District. I went to Bonasika, I went to Santa Mission, I went to Canal (and) I went to Par Faite Harmonie… I never promised anybody to go anywhere,” Das said.
He even said that based on their records, the crime rates are not as high. On Monday last, a man was nabbed with several items he stole from the Zeelugt Shiva Mandir.
A caretaker of the building who visited the temple on Monday at about 06:00h to switch off the lights found the idols stripped and the building ransacked. She raised an alarm, and the incident was reported to the Police.
The devotees who suspected the man went to his home with a team of officers and unearthed the missing items in his fowl pen. Taken into custody, he subsequently confessed to the crime at the Leonora Police Station.
A public-address system and over $200,000 in decorations and other items were stolen.