Crime is one of the biggest problems facing Guyana and there are several factors that have come together and brought about serious crimes and one of these is the easy availability of guns, according to former President Janet Jagan.
Writing in the May 17-18 edition of the Weekend Mirror under the headline ‘Why is there so much crime?’, Mrs Jagan said that generally, the easy availability of all types of weapons, particularly small lethal weapons has led to a situation where too many people own such weapons. “There’s not much difficulty in using them or in obtaining whatever amount of ammunition is needed”, she said. The former President wrote that people have been stealing since humans occupied the earth but what is new is that the thieves now carry weapons and use them without much provocation.
Security experts have in the past argued that the government needs to do more to soak up illegal guns via amnesties or buybacks and by strengthening border controls.
Another factor in the prevalence of deadly crimes, according to the former President, is the emergence of new forms of communication particularly television. She said that most children grow up “glued” to the TV screen, most without any parental restriction. “Without parental and school influence on the right and wrong of things, a child can grow up totally immune to what killing means. This helps formulate the killers in our society and it also emphasizes the responsibility of family and teachers in the lives of all of us as we and our children grow up”, she said.
“What I see is frequently absolutely revolting as regards killing, sex, general behaviour etc., but a child cannot discriminate so easily what is good from what is bad. Men and women with guns, shoot and shoot and shoot; it goes on every day, all day and night on TV. After a while firing a shot at another person is like putting a piece of candy in one’s mouth”, she added.
Mrs. Jagan also declared that the growth of drug trafficking is at the root of a great percentage of local murders and robberies. “Guyana has joined the fraternity of executions, I suppose for cheating in money transactions related to drugs”, she said.
