Frankly speaking, I anticipate perhaps an unprecedented upsurge in criminal activity for the season of “goodwill” now actively beginning.
Like the now virtually daily fires, fatal road accidents, murders and new presidential candidates. I predict daily robberies with or without vidence as never before. And I can’t plead with burglars and bandidos not to commit robberies but let’s all ask them not to commit Murder during their robberies. For just as the whole nation seems to be stimulated by the Christian Festival, so too Guyanese thieves and bandits seem to be motivated to increase their criminal enterprise during, preparation for the Christmas “season”.
Against that background I invite you to follow my not–so– fictional dissection of the motivation and execution of one robbery of note – the anatomy of a crime. Why? This reportage – and insight – should cause you to think like a thief, to be on guard and to possibly prevent (the success of) a crime.
The Participants, The Planning…
John (31) had served in the Guyana Police Force for seven years before being dismissed for alleged involvement in an attempt to extort payoffs from an East Coast car dealer. He was embittered at the public ridicule which he felt the force put him through. He had managed to own a car but put it in his smaller brother’s (Ron) name.
Ravi (30) and his friend Harry (20) lived in the neighbouring village to which John and Ron belonged. Young Harry worked with the relatively wealthy car dealer as a handyman but was recently fired for stealing from the businessman’s home. The home was situated aback the Dealership show room. Same “yard”.
Now “corporate”, large- scale, organised crime is as structured as big corporate legal business. Without formal designations, the brains behind organized crime – from serial larceny to insider fraud to arms and drugs trafficking – are the CEO’s and Managing–Directors of these enterprises, replete with resources, skills and abilities to secure consultants, accountants, transportation, official documents, contacts with politicians, even bribes and “commissions” for senior and junior public officials. Organised crime reaches into both the Public and Private Sectors. Organised Crime thrives on the knowledge that the new “morality” has abandoned the distinction between right and wrong!
Similarly on the lower level, John, Ron, Ravi and Harry studied and structured their planned robbery of the Auto Dealership Businessman, led by ex-cop John, they considered such element as day, time, routines of victim, level of security, location for parking, ingress/egress of the Business Precincts, easiest accessible getaway, a plan-b, movements and location of police station, time of police patrols, the division’s available police resources, even how to behave, if ever caught. The most careful, structured planning and pre-planning.
The “Simple” Robbery?
The actual robbery should have been relatively simple, given all the intelligence and preparation available to the four crooks. After all, they knew for sure that the businessman’s family had left for a Christmas vacation in Florida USA; that he had bartered (illegally) two SUV’s for a quantity of gold which he planned to keep in the house for a few days before selling it in Suriname; that he would return home between 2.00 am and 2.30 am that morning filled with a significant amount of his favourite Smirnoff Vodka; that he would hardly notice two of them trailing him from Georgetown; that he would normally leave his Taurus .32 at home.
All that they studied, and launched their attack as he signalled his guard (unarmed) to open his gate at 2.45 am. But they did not know that the Businessman’s Trinidad-based son had arrived that midday to remain at home early that night; or that the armed guard service inspector was visiting his guards at the time of their attack.
As it turned out the four had one weapon to the two guns in the hands of the Businessman’s son and the guard inspector. They held the businessman hostage but got only his winnings from his earlier poker gambling. Gunfire was exchanged as Ron sped them away. The businessman was gravely injured in the shootout. Robber Ravi was hit in his knee. Was later caught after a tip-off next day. This was a botched robbery (attempt.) What are the lessons to be learnt? Discuss…
My festive blues
I suppose you shouldn’t mind me and my mid-sixties perspective on the approach to Christmas and its commercial manifestations, especially.
But just bear with me as I wonder just what the baby Jesus has to do with the numerous seasonal promotions, give-aways, concert promotions, extravagance on domestic make-overs, Christmas parties and Old Years Night Balls. Would he approve of all the above – in his name?
Look, I’m no spoil-sport Scrooge. I actually participate and celebrate (silently) too. But my now-matured moderation can’t seem to accommodate the extravagance which borders on the vulgar sometimes. I know “It’s for the children” but teach them too, to live within your means when it simply is not possible to do some Christmas things before December 25!
And even though I ‘m not that religious, I suggest that the true Christians left, should arrange to propagate everything necessary for people to know and understand the genesis of their festival – the Virgin Birth and its consequences. For example, how can Christmas convince me that the chosen little young lady Mary gave birth to the Divine Child, just so?
Tell your Christmas story now, early! Like the Hindus make sure we know about Phagwah and Diwali’s Maha Lakshmi. Just as the business–people tell us what to buy to dress ourselves up and to beautify or improve our homes. Can anyone balance the Christmas Festival? With the commercial and the spiritual?
Ponder…
1) An M. Maxwell writes provocatively-analytical letters to the press. I appreciated his offering on why should professionals remain to serve for paltry rewards. The question is raised fundamentally: who actually builds a country? The politician, or the professional?
2) How good to see one-time alleged First Lady Varshnie committed to fighting Domestic Violence in all its forms. Pity she was in seeming collusion to fool me she was married – For years! Naughty!
3) Resigning the PNC’s chairmanship, challenging for its leadership and Presidential candidacy, pointed to some political integrity where Mr Winston Murray was concerned. Who can now step up?
4) We shared the same birthday and I recall him admonishing his own party once in Parliament.
’Til next week!
(Comments?
allanafenty@yahoo.com)
