La Penitence Market vendors call for armed security

…City Hall probes mistreatment of junior female Constabulary Officers

Following the brazen daylight robbery committed on La Penitence Market vendor Doodnauth “Hardat” Danasri and his wife, Meena, on Monday, vendors in the area are calling on both City Hall and the Guyana Police Force to set up an outpost and armed officers.
On Monday afternoon about 17:30h, two armed men pounced upon Meena and demanded cash. However, her husband attempted to ward off the men with a knife, but they shot him three times about his body and made good their escape with over $150,000 in cash.

Doodnauth, of Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara (WCD), was shot once in the region of his temple, his hand and abdomen while attempting to rescue his wife. Meena said the money was two days’ sales and she had to pay some suppliers. After snatching the money, the men rode off on their bicycles into James Street, Albouystown.
An alarm was raised, and ranks from the Ruimveldt Police Station promptly arrived on the scene and quickly rushed Doodnauth to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he received medical attention.
Meena related that her husband went back to the Hospital on Tuesday morning to dress his wounds and to receive a medical certificate. She noted that his injuries were not life-threatening, but did indicate that they were now scared for their lives.

Security
The woman, along with other vendors, said there have been many robberies at the Market and the Constables were unable to do anything, because they were mostly female and unarmed. She noted that at the time of the robbery, there were four unarmed female Constables nearby, but they could not have aided the situation.
“It been got Constable out here with nothing to represent themselves…we want protection out here. We want protection, we need protection because high daylight them do we that,” Meena said.
“We want a Police Outpost here and the Constables have to get some weapon so when them people this come to rob, they can do something and not just stand up and watch,” she added.
Meena related that at the time of the robbery, the area was crowded. She said in all of the 38-plus years she have been vending at the Market, this is the first time a robbery of this magnitude was committed on her.
The Police investigations are ongoing and the suspects are yet to be apprehended.

Mistreatment
At the March 26 statutory meeting of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), concerns were raised in relation to junior female Constabulary Officers taking an unprecedented amount of sick days, resulting in the call for a probe and possible disciplinary action. The call from some Councillors led to Chief Constable Andrew Foo reporting that he would have exhausted all avenues of discipline, but the junior officers were failing to comply.
However, this did not go down too well with Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, who revealed that the same officers would have complained to her, along with other Councillors, about the treatment they receive at the hands of their superiors.
“We have senior female Constabulary Officers mistreating the junior officers…they are telling them all sorts of things and even chasing them out of their offices,” the Mayor reported.
“In some cases, they are sending the junior female officers to work at sites with no lights or protection, and it is unacceptable,” Chase Green added.
She noted that there were serious issues going on in the City Constabulary Department and she would have made numerous complaints to Town Clerk Royston King, who was in charge of the City Constabulary, but, to date, the situation remained unchanged. Chase Green then ordered the city’s Welfare Officer to look into the treatment of the junior female ranks and the conditions they are forced to endure and work in. The Welfare Officer’s report is expected to be submitted at the next statutory meeting on April 9, 2018.