Dear Editor,
Over the past few months the reports of robberies and murders of hard-working, decent, law-abiding citizens of Guyana have left me very disturbed. Most heart wrenching was the news of the learned, 75-year-old Professor, who was beaten, bound and strangled, in his home, by six teenagers.
It was refreshing to learn that all of the heartless teens were captured. Here in these United States, we have ample resources and the most advanced crime prevention technology, yet robberies and murders take place every day. Guns, robberies, murders, etc, have been a part of America ever since the days of Jesse James and the Wild West. But crime in Guyana has certainly taken on new dimensions and this is indeed alarming. Teenagers, who are supposed to be in school, are now bent on a life of crime. They have absolutely no fear of the law or of the consequences of the crime they commit.
Yet, very little is being done to revise the very lenient laws; to hand out harsher punishment to the convicted criminals; to strengthen the police force with more and better trained police officers; to pay police officers a much better salary; to provide police officers with better resources, transport and crime prevention technology and to build a new prison.
I am from Region Two, and since the colonial days, there were four police stations on the Essequibo Coast (Aurora, Suddie, Anna Regina and Charity). The Essequibo Coast has certainly moved forward in terms of population, motor vehicles, businesses, etc, while criminal activities, including drugs, traffic violations, accidents, robberies, rapes, murders, etc, have all increased quite considerably. Yet the number of police stations (4) on the coast remains the same.
With daily reports of robberies, shootings and killings, I simply cannot understand why any sane Guyanese living abroad would want to visit, holiday or relocate to Guyana. Whenever there are robberies, killings, etc, of Americans overseas, our government usually notifies Americans that for their own safety, they should not travel to those countries. But, the Guyana government, instead of warning overseas based Guyanese not to visit or not to relocate to Guyana for their own safety, is encouraging Guyanese to visit Guyana, and is offering overseas based Guyanese all kinds of tax incentives to relocate to Guyana. Some have, sadly, responded positively, only to fall victim to crime. The professor was a perfect example.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Majeed
United States
