There is no evidence in the police’s database to suggest that there had been an increase in auto thefts or the theft of auto parts during major events, Commander of ‘A’ Division Clifton Hicken said yesterday, in response to a request by Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan for an analysis of such thefts.
Speaking with members of the media following the 117th Anniversary Awards Ceremony, Commander Hicken stated that while there was one reported incident, it occurred at Nandy Park and not at the Providence National Stadium as suggested.
That incident, he said, resulted in two persons being arrested after they were caught trying to steal a tape deck among other articles from a car.
He said the suspects are expected to make a court appearance today.
“We had four games at the stadium and we had one report of an incident. This was our first report but it had occurred at Nandy Park and not in the vicinity of the stadium… We also had a hijacking on the second day but that would have occurred around the Providence area and not at the stadium itself,” the commander said.
Hicken went on to say that the heightened police presence during the cricket games at the stadium would have thwarted additional attempts by persons to commit such acts as the apprehension of the first two suspects served as a warning for the others.
“We checked the system thoroughly after we saw the article in the newspapers but we haven’t had any reports to suggest an increase and I reported this to my commissioner,” Hicken said.
According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), Ramjattan stated that he found it “strange” that there seemed to be a spike in auto thefts during major events especially when they are held at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara.
“It is so strange that in that high kind of activity area, with so many policemen, there have been allegations of cars being stolen, and I’ve asked for an analysis,” Ramjattan was quoted as saying.
