Home Letters Urgent plea to have Charlestown residents relieved of “Short man”
Dear Editor,
With reference to the subject at caption, an urgent request is hereby made to have a resident (name provided) who is also known as “Short man”, a total nuisance to the Charlestown area, removed from the area permanently, as this individual has been a threat to the human rights of some innocent citizens of Charlestown & the surrounding wards of Georgetown for many years now, & nobody seems to be doing anything about it.
The following are among the offences this individual has committed in recent years:
1. Threatened to burn down residents’ houses. He presumably hears and sees things that aren’t there.
2. Stabbed a Haitian national who lives in this neighbourhood. To everybody’s unpleasant surprise, “Short man” was released from Police custody because the Haitian was “illegal” in Guyana.
3. Habitually, & without being provoked, jumped over fences into residents’ yards; and threw broken bottles at people in yards of this neighbourhood.
4. Regularly whipped out a sharp knife & threatened to kill innocent passers-by who walk along the pavements of Charlestown, particularly in the area between Princess and Drysdale streets.
5. On several occasions, he was released from Police custody on self-bail for attempted killings.
6. He was placed before the court for attempting to kill two Public Servants. while the victims pleaded with the Magistrate to send him for a psychiatric evaluation, or to be admitted into the National Psychiatric Hospital, the Magistrate claimed he had no knowledge of the process. Instead, Short man was placed on bail and sent home. Subsequently, an arrest warrant was issued, but he never returned to court, and continues to roam freely.
Assistance is being sought from the Minister of Home Affairs and the Minister of Health, as this is both a social and public health matter of concern. If the present intolerable situation continues, there’s the fear that somebody would be killed. And it seems many people are afraid of Short man because, in Guyana, criminals like him seem to have more rights than their victims.
Sad to say, Police protection from “Short man” seems to be non-existent. This nuisance to society is often seen standing for hours unending outside the Rentokil office at the corner of Charles & Drysdale Streets, Charlestown during the day and night.
Grateful for immediate and sustained action on this serious issue before something dreadful happens.
Sincerely,
Concerned Residents