Late last week, Guyanese were again greeted with the dreadful news that two crewmen of a Corentyne fishing boat were killed and two are still missing following an attack by pirates. That is devastating news for the families, who are enduring unimaginable pain; and the incident evokes painful memories of the 2018 massacre on the Corentyne River, when some twelve Guyanese fishermen were killed by pirates.
Also, late last week, it was reported that a man was strangled to death during a suspected robbery along Church Street in Georgetown.
Daily, there are stories of robberies committed on unsuspecting citizens across the country. A few days ago, reports reminded of the ongoing spate of crime within Stabroek Market Square despite the presence of Police and a conspicuous GPF outpost.
From all indications, criminals roam free within that area. That naturally questions the usefulness of the Police, who are expected to protect citizens. Not too long ago, it was reported that a man who was handcuffed chopped off his metal restraints, broke through the counter, chased the ranks with a cutlass, and made good his escape from the outpost.
Obvious questions surface: how could a suspect in handcuffs get access to a cutlass within the confines of the Police outpost? How was he able to carry out his actions and escape? What was the resource capacity of the Police which may have rendered them useless in that circumstance? From that particular incident, one can conclude that the Police were ineffective and probably unfocused.
This seeming ineffective approach in some ways appears characteristic of how the Police reportedly threat with reports of crime. There were numerous instances in the past when victims lamented either a very delayed, or complete lack of, response. Very often, the excuses given are grossly unacceptable: lack of ranks and vehicle.
That’s aside from the added frustration of calls to the stations and 911 going unanswered.
From a layman’s perspective, it would appear that the Police are ill-prepared, or are probably even unconcerned over the plight faced by the citizenry with regard to crime and necessary effective response. Despite untold sufferings and even fatalities of those at the mercy of bandits, crime continues unabated, despite Police presence, as evident at the Stabroek Square.
What seems well coordinated, well executed and well prepared for, in terms of resources, is the Police response to keeping protestors away from the vicinity of President David Granger’s presence. This latest show of an overwhelming presence of ranks was on Sunday last at Cornelia Ida, West Coast Demerara, when Mr. Granger attended the graduation ceremony of the Saraswati Vidya Niketan School.
Numerous metal barricades were erected deep into the parapets to keep away ordinary Guyanese who were desirous of exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protest. With valid reasons to mount such protest, residents turned up in their numbers to support the call for the Constitution to be respected and democracy not hijacked.
The Police executed their job well, and even extended the desired “safe zone” during the protest. In the end, they ensured Mr. Granger was insulated from the concerned citizens. In doing so, not only were the protestors kept far at bay, but traffic was disrupted and students and parents were forced to endure the indignity of being searched, allegedly at three different levels, for placards.
Earlier in the day, the Police were seen removing black flags from electricity poles within that area. The flags were reportedly mounted by residents to demonstrate their displeasure over the trampling of democracy by the APNU/AFC Government. If the general concern was flags on the poles, then why would the Police remove only the black ones and leave others?
Those tasks the Police reportedly did well, with maximum efficiency and efficacy. From that and again from a layman’s perspective, it appears that the Police priority is not the combating of crime, but to maximise the use of their human and technical resources to prevent the President from hearing the cries of the people. This now seems the new role of the Police.
Last Sunday’s incident was just another incident that followed the barricading of State House and Mr. Granger’s official office whenever he has engagements there and in other areas of Guyana he visited recently. While he is entitled to have security, many continue to raise concern of the Police being overly excessive in that process, as against fighting crime.
During the incident last Sunday, there was reportedly preferential treatment perpetrated by the large gathering of Police. The small group of Mr. Granger’s supporters were allowed to run and cheer within the “safe zone”; the said area that facilitated his unfettered access. From that the layman could also conclude deliberate political bias by the Police in favour of Mr Granger. The pictures could speak volumes.
However, what seemed confirmed is the security guards at the official Office of the Leader of the Opposition being unarmed. The man strangled on Church Street was in that vicinity, and the guard on duty that night could not assist, been unarmed as reported. Could that have been possible when Mr. Granger was in the Opposition? Just another layman’s question.
