Sunday’s armed robbery at a church is a sign that crime is out of control and despite the recommendations of the opposition, government is failing miserably to tackle the situation, APNU MP Winston Felix said on Monday.
“How much lower must we sink before this government and the Minister of Home Affairs would acknowledge their failures to provide effective security for the Guyana citizenry?” the former police commissioner asked during a press conference.
The press conference was called to address the crime situation in the country with particularly emphasis on the robbery at the St Philip’s Church and similar incidents which had occurred within recent times.
Just before mass, gunmen stormed the St Philip’s Parish Church at St Phillip’s Green, Werk-en-Rust robbing several parishioners.
“I just finish opening the doors and about 15 members were here sitting waiting when I saw this youth come up, push he hand in he waist, pull out a gun, point it at me and seh ‘Don’t move’ …then another one came with another gun and start taking away people married ring and so,” an employee of the church recounted to this newspaper.
Another eyewitness said the three young men, who were on BMX bicycles, seemed to have been gauging their attack as they were waiting at the St Mary’s Community High School which is behind the church on Princes Street. He said they rode up to the main church entrance and two entered the building while one kept watch outside.
According to Felix, the attack on the church was particularly shocking.
“This state of affairs has been allowed to persist because of a PPP/C government that has neglected to provide the police force with resources to effectively combat crime and criminality,” he said adding that the bandits are striking at will and noticeably absent are police patrols.
He said the government had “neglected to listen” to his party’s constant pleading and advice to train and equip the police force so that it can function effectively. Within recent times, he said, Minister Clement Rohee has not addressed the nation on security-related issues, instead he focuses on “lighter matters” such as attacking Gecom, dealing with issues of the voters list and claims and objections. Rohee is also the general secretary of the PPP/C party and hosts weekly press conferences at Freedom House in this capacity.
Felix said it is clear that “it is only with a change of regime [to] an APNU government… would … [there be] the level of public security necessary to prevent these senseless crimes from being committed…”
Asked what the APNU would bring to the table in power, Felix said the party would examine the strengths and weaknesses of the force. He noted that the force is short of human resources which is reflected in the number of day time and night time patrols that are being seen. He said once this happens it creates “opportunity” for the criminals. “Wherever there is an opportunity the criminals will pounce,” he said adding that firstly it is necessary to address recruitment, remuneration and revising the training programme.
He said that his party will also give leadership to the force. “In short we would address the issue of recruitment, retention, training, pay package. Not this enforced 5% at the end of the year… I don’t think that that is good for the police or the remainder of the public,” he said
He said government has failed to develop the necessary intelligence to combat criminality in Guyana.
Felix accused the government of trying to micromanage the force rather than lead it. “Micromanaging is not necessarily leadership.
The government needs to get the police the necessary leadership,” he said while stressing on a need for an independent crime intelligence unit to be developed to support the police on the streets to gather the necessary intelligence to target persons committing crimes.
“Sunday’s crime was three little boys…. riding cycles,” he said noting that they rode away from the scene without being intercepted. He opined that had patrols being around the men would have thought twice about committing the robberies as they would have had to weigh the risk of interception.
He said that in the past there have been ministers who committed “clear crimes” but none had never been arrested. “Starting from the minister who shot up on the East Coast. One of them drive highly inebriated, struck down somebody (and) drove away. No charge. Now we got another one obviously knows about a crime, knew about an imminent crime and he has not revealed it to persons in authority. That is what characterizes this government,” he said.
Asked what APNU is doing to ensure that the government is working to protect the population, he said the party has been repeatedly observing the failures and have spoken about them.
“An opposition really is to criticize and expose. We are not there to run to the government and tell them how to do their jobs,” he said.
“They have been told repeatedly that they are not on the right course, they need to divert to a more efficient means of policing this society,” he added.
Felix said it doesn’t seem that the government has taken APNU’s advice on board.
