Crime unabated, continues to spiral under APNU/AFC leadership – Opposition Leader

…no credibility in Govt’s notion of criminal activities on decline – FITUG
…US Govt prepared to offer experts to assist with security issues – Ambassador

Despite promises by the APNU/AFC Government under the leadership of President David Granger, even after British Security Advisor Russel Krombe handed over a report of recommendations in 2018, the coalition administration has failed to address the crime situation in Guyana.

This is according to Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, who on Thursday said that the David Granger-led administration had touted its “security credentials” prior to assuming office in 2015, with claims that its security experts would have resolved the frequency of criminal activities throughout the country but to date, nothing has been done, as crime spirals.
“He (President Granger) was supposed to end all crime in Guyana, saying that the PPP was all bluff. Then to see the appalling failures of his government and his Security Minister on a daily basis, saying things that simply do not make sense without addressing the real problem. Then clearly, the people of this country have a right and we have a right to examine their failures. From the 17 persons losing lives in the prison fire…and until now the situation at Lusignan is appalling, and you can have a prison break at any time”.

Jagdeo stated that statistics can support the fact that the APNU/AFC have failed to protect citizens and curb the crime rate here and noted that the spike in criminal activities has been ongoing but that relevant authorities have been denying the figures.
He lamented the current situation in Guyana where robberies and murders, coupled with accidents, occur on a daily basis, claiming the lives of innocent people, while the APNU/AFC is yet to address such an issue.

“For the piracy recently, those who suffered from the acts of piracy in Berbice, our Presidential Candidate went up there and also met with several members of the family and witnessed the dire poverty in which people live in those areas. How important the earnings of these individuals who went to sea to earn a living were to maintaining the livelihoods of their families. Then we had the incident with the robbery (at El Dorado Trading) and I spoke with Mrs Stoll (wife of the dead businessman)…another young Guyanese businessman whose life was snuffed out and there are others who suffered death and injury there and so that too, that is senseless killing”.
The Opposition Leader even referred to a murder, which occurred little over a week ago in front of his office at Queenstown, Georgetown, where a man was strangled to death with a belt. The perpetrator had been caught by public-spirited persons and then handed over to the Police.
According to Jagdeo, these crimes could have been prevented but now the result is that innocent lives were lost while families and loved ones are left to suffer.

Climbing crime rate
Meanwhile, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) on Thursday also called out the APNU/AFC Government for its failure in addressing the climbing crime rate in Guyana.
The Union, in a statement to the media, said that in recent times, pronouncements from officialdom have sought to communicate and indicate that criminal activity were on the decline.
This, the Union said, is being preached but “while our people are hearing one thing, they are seeing, and some are experiencing, an entirely different state-of-affairs”.
According to the FITUG, Guyanese are genuinely and sincerely concerned and very worried that they can be the next unwitting victim and the present situation has caused persons to feel insecure to be home alone or to venture out for social activities.
“Certainly, our people ought not to be confined to living in perpetual fear of being attacked, this is not the way people should live as it has serious implications for their well-being and psyche. Undoubtedly, there is a critical need for the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to proactively address what is clearly a frightening situation. The need for regular patrols, intelligence gathering, proactive Police action, among other things cannot be underscored, these initiatives, among others, could be helpful to bring the situation under control,” the Union said.

It noted that the rising crime rate also could not be delinked from what is taking place elsewhere in society, adding that the most recent Labour Force Survey, prepared by the Bureau of Statistics, indicated that the unemployment rate increased from 12.2 per cent at the end of 2017 to 13.8 per cent at the end of 2018.
“In the same period, youth unemployment rose from 22.9 per cent to 25.6 per cent, the report also disclosed that earnings of workers also declined during the period. This worrying trend cannot be ignored, as it well has an impact on crime in our society. For a Government which possesses so many self-identified security experts, it is disheartening to take stock of the present crime situation, clearly, there is an urgent need to address and arrest the declining situation in the interest of people’s and nation’s well-being”.

US experts
Meanwhile, the US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, recently addressed members of the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) when she met with the group.
According to a statement from the US Embassy in Guyana, the OSAC’s mission is to build cooperation between the public and private sectors to address security issues in Guyana.
In her remarks, Ambassador Lynch said that focusing on safety and security helps put a country on the path to prosperity. “Nothing says consumer confidence,” she said, “like a safe place to live and raise a family”. She assured OSAC members that the US Embassy is prepared to work with OSAC to connect Guyana’s leadership with US experts, who can provide guidance on security issues.