There seems to be a growing and worrisome perception amidst the populace that Guyana’s law enforcement agencies are failing in their attempt to maintain law and order and more importantly in their ability to protect.
Stemming from this perceived failure we are witnessing increased instances of vigilante justice, and sadly, several cases have even resulted in the deaths of the alleged perpetrators and innocent individuals. Leaders from both sides of the political spectrum have been outspoken in their condemnation of such acts and have announced ‘zero tolerance’ of vigilante justice.
Given this situation, it becomes imperative that we reflect upon the existing conditions in our society giving rise to the levels of frustration, and indeed anger, which permit vigilantism to flourish, which sees ordinary folk taking the law into their own hands.
Members of the public have become concerned and frightened for their lives and safety; we cannot hide from the fact that there are increasing reports of violent crimes and robberies.
One only has to read the daily newspapers or tune in to the television stations to get a better handle of the situation facing citizens and entire communities on a daily basis.
We are also facing the real danger that individuals are feeling justified in using self-help to protect their rights.
Amidst all of this, the Guyana Police Force has announced new anticrime measures and has assured that they now possess “unparalleled” capacity and capability in the Criminal Investigations Department. The statistics support this claim.
But these pronouncements might have done little to assuage the public’s growing concern since these assurances might fail to give comfort to that family who recently suffered at the hands of the criminals or to the family of the alleged criminal who suffered at the hands of outraged residents.
In the wake of the most recent public announcement by the Minister of Public Security that there is to be a periodic review of firearm licences, many have expressed concern that the ability of licensed firearm holders to protect their families and properties may now be under threat. There have however been assurances that this step is to ensure that persons “undeserving” of firearm licences will not have access to same and will therefore be prevented from becoming perpetrators of gun crimes.
Only recently, a United States Report on Human Rights, Democracy and Governance in Guyana revealed that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is the least trusted institution in Guyana. The report recommended that efforts be made to strengthen the Force’s investigation and prosecution capacity since it currently records a dismal 90 per cent failure rate.
These are but some of the bleak findings of the Report produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)–one of this nation’s longstanding donor partners. The US-based report went on to outline that Guyana currently faces a number of social problems, including high levels of crime and violence; high levels of domestic violence; incidents of violence against transgender individuals; high incidents of trafficking in persons (TIP); and the increasing use of guns, particularly for criminal purposes.
These findings were highly publicised and prominently displayed in print and social media, providing further fuel for an already smouldering issue. The reality is that communities across the country feel unsafe.
It is not to say that efforts aren’t being made to address the issues, the USAID report did indicate that government has been actively combating this negative image. The GPF has been actively cooperating with the US Government. The Police have also received training, equipment and other support from the US in the fight against drug trafficking and gold smuggling.
The Force has made their plans and results of their efforts publicly known. While our politicians and the Police Force are working assiduously to address the escalating problem of crime, we as citizens cannot allow ourselves to descend into the realms of a lawless society, whatever the circumstances. We cannot take the law into our own hands. Else we run the risk of becoming no better that the criminals.
We must above all else remain law abiding citizens.
As we continue to address this issue, it is clear that there needs to be strengthened communication between the Force and communities, which will eventually lead to increased trust. There also needs to be collective cooperation from citizens across Guyana. Only through a collective effort can we tackle this problem.
We need to once again become “our brothers’ keepers” and remain vigilant of the threats that loom rather than becoming vigilantes.
