Troops on the streets will not dispel public’s safety fears – Rohee

Government’s latest tactic to deploy the army on a mission to address the crime situation and a “potential domestic security threat” will not dispel the growing fears of Guyanese over their safety and security.
This is according to People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Clement Rohee, who believes Guyanese will never feel safe again unless they begin to see concrete evidence that law enforcement is controlling the crime contagion ravaging the country.

During a press conference on Monday, Rohee once again lambasted the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration for failing to put an end to the crime wave.
“The Granger Administration is clearly overwhelmed by the crime situation, which has spiralled out of control, forcing them to admit by their very actions, that they have failed the people on this front. The continuous bombardment of speeches, lectures and pontifications and lamentations by Government spokespersons will not solve the problem,” he stated, expressing some pleasure, however, that the Government has finally “woken up from its slumber”.
The former Home Affairs Minister, who was highly criticised by APNU and the AFC for his management of the sector, reminded the very persons that they had boasted of having the solutions to significantly reduce crime in the country.

“It is indeed mind-boggling to recall that while the APNU was in the Opposition, it knew exactly what had to be done to address the crime situation in our country. But now that it is in the Government, it is at its wits’ end not knowing what to do to quell the surge in crime,” he stated.
In a statement on Friday, Government said it would be deploying the army to conduct exercises in conjunction with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to address the crime situation and a potential domestic security threat, but did not elaborate on these operations.
However, Rohee believes that these efforts by the Administration will not dispel the fears of Guyanese.
“Messrs Granger’s and Ramjattan’s attempts to allay the growing fears and anxieties of Guyanese over their safety and security will not succeed by telling them that they have ‘nothing to worry about’, nor ‘to be alarmed’, nor to ‘be patient’. Nor will Guyanese be assured that they will not be robbed in their homes, place of work or on the streets by ‘putting troops in targeted areas to allay their fears and to help arrest the crime situation’,” he said.
Rohee contended that “all of this will fall on deaf ears unless the people begin to see tangible and sustainable results from efforts by law enforcement to bring the crime situation under control”.
The good life, which the APNU/AFC coalition says Guyanese are entitled to will not be realised with the “constant loss of life, limb and/or property”, Rohee pointed out.