Dear Editor,
There is an upsurge of crime during the past months and what is disturbing is that there have been brutal slayings and attacks in rural areas where violent crimes were not reported before ‒ areas like La Jalousie on the West Coast of Demerara and the village where I was born and grew up, No 2 Canje, Berbice. In addition two nights ago the home of a Land Court Judge was invaded on the East Coast of Demerara.
Opposition supporters are making a field day of the violent crimes and blaming the government for not making adequate provision to protect its citizens, but these allegations are without foundation since the increase in violent crimes started months before the new administration came into power. Moreover President David Granger a few days ago summoned the Prime Minister, the Minister of Public Security as well as the Commissioner of Police and Deputy Head of the Guyana Defence Force, and urged them to work as expeditiously as possible to arrest the crime wave.
Minister of State Joseph Harmon, two days ago announced that there will be a five part security strategy to crush the criminal networks and disclosed that the government will work closely with the Guyana Police Force to tackle the escalating of the crime situation.
I wish to urge Minister Harmon, the Minister of Public Security who is responsible for the police, as well as the Police Commissioner to properly scrutinize the police officers who will be involved in the exercise. It is not a secret that there are several rogue cops in the country; a few might even be involved with criminal elements.
Rogue cops are in most countries. I recall in the early 1990s while I served in St Vincent and the Grenadines as Solicitor General and acting Director of Public Prosecutions, details of a high level meeting with officials of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), senior police officers and other government officials were leaked to drug runners, and as a result the raid planned for the evening of the meeting was aborted.
I have heard of many reports in Guyana where police officers were involved in robberies, and therefore I am urging the authorities to be extra careful in selecting the officers who will work with the other agencies to track down the criminals.
Minister Harmon said that “criminals have no place or no home… we will go after them relentlessly with every tool, every asset of the state.” The situation is frightening and I sincerely hope that the government’s strategy will break the back of the criminal elements.
Yours faithfully,
Oscar Ramjeet