Despite a claim that Enmore is under threat from rising criminality, ‘C’ Division Commander Christopher Griffith says police have so far only recorded nine break and enter and larceny cases and one robbery for the year in the community.
The problem, however, is the prosecution of offenders, according to Griffith, who says victims refuse to give investigators statements or attend court to offer evidence.
In a recently published letter, resident Taajnauth Jadunauth opined that crime will be better tackled in the community, if the defunct policing group is revived. He also shared the view that victims are not cooperating with the police to see criminals being brought to justice.
During a telephone interview, Griffith told Stabroek News that raids are conducted regularly and result in arrests and charges. Griffith mentioned a case where a woman was caught selling drugs out of her home. He said that that case resulted from a raid carried out in the community and that the woman was charged. However, the lawman explained that many of those charged end up walking free because the victims refuse to cooperate with police or offer evidence in court.
Griffith noted that Enmore recorded only one robbery and nine break and enter and larceny cases to date for the year. He said that some of the cases he heard mentioned by residents during a meeting sometime back in the community were old cases, ranging from three to four years ago, that could not be prosecuted because the victims refused to give the police statements.
In a letter published in the October 18, 2014 edition of Stabroek News, Jadunauth supported Griffith’s claims of victims not cooperating with the police. He said, “The police cannot prosecute, because victims refuse to give statements,” and, “Victims want justice, but they will not stand up and do the right thing.”
“It does not help the situation when we cocoon ourselves in the cloak of denial”, Jadunauth added as he opposed the view of Jadunauth Bhikhari, chairman of Hope/Enmore Neighbourhood Democratic Council. The chairman had related to this publication that he did not believe that crime was a major issue plaguing the community. “There are ongoing cases of rape, robberies, break and enter, narco-selling and consumption, simple larceny…,” Jadunauth, however, said before urging residents to cooperate with the police to prosecute criminal elements in the community.
Jadunauth also called for a meeting of the concerned citizens of Enmore to be convened to address the resuscitation of the community’s Policing Group so that they could “stand together and defy criminal elements,” whom he said have put Enmore “under siege.”
Jadunauth said that crime was minimal in the community seven years ago when the policing group was “300-odd strong and straddled all the wards of Enmore.” However, he opined that after he and other executive members were booted out of the group “for speaking out against malpractices within the group…,” the body eventually declined, giving way for crime to thrive.
The security issues of Enmore gained attention after the October 12 attack on Chandradat Purnadatt, also known as “Sunil,” who was closing his business when three men, who were armed, approached him and demanded money. Sunil’s father, Pandit Purnadatt, had written a letter to Stabroek News, expressing his concerns at the community coming “under siege” by “dope peddlers.” No arrest has been made to date in connection with the attack.
