Security success

Sep 01, 2008 Editorial

The state is responsible for the security of its citizens. Indeed, some would assert that security is the very raison d’etre of the state itself. The disciplined forces, especially the Police Force, are the organisations of the state that are tasked with assuring that security.

The government of the day assumes authority over those organisations to set their policies and to furnish them with the wherewithal for them to accomplish their mission. The “buck” for security, as they say, stops with the Government.

Over the last decade, the Government has taken a tremendous amount of flak for the steady deterioration of the security situation in the country. It is only fitting that it also receives the requisite kudos when there are successes.

The elimination of “Fine Man” Rawlins and “Skinny” Charles is one such unqualified success, and we compliment the Government for its efforts. The disciplined forces, as the organisations with the line responsibility for security, of course, also deserve praise, and this is unreservedly offered.

Our newspaper has well documented the reign of terror unleashed by the Fine Man gang across the country, and the average citizen is breathing a deep sigh of relief now that two of the top leaders are no more.

But, on perusing the reports of the reactions of the citizenry, especially the survivors of some of the more savage maraudings, one cannot escape their realism. While happy at the recent success, they almost all note that the rest of the gang are still on the loose and they are certain that we have not heard the last from them.

Our citizens, after all – at least most of them — had breathed a sigh of relief when “Blackie” London had been gunned down, bringing down the curtains on his depredations. But it was not long before he was succeeded by Douglas, who had once been his lieutenant and had interestingly also been known as “Fineman”.

Douglas and his band of escapees then continued where “Blackie” had left off, and took terror to a whole new level. They not only went after ordinary citizens for loot and booty, but engaged with seeming indifference the disciplined forces themselves – especially the Target Special Forces – that had spearheaded the efforts of the state to bring order to the society. Eventually, in a bloodbath that made the “spaghetti westerns” of Clint Eastwood seem tame in comparison, the Douglas Five were eliminated. Citizens breathed another sigh of relief.

But then came Fine Man and later Skinny, and now their denouement. The citizens are rightfully worried that, like the mythical Hydra, new heads will sprout on the monster whenever one is cut off.

The Commissioner of Police has openly identified some of the surviving gang members, and it is expected that the Forces will not rest on their laurels, but proceed unrestrainedly in their pursuit to defang them. The latest success appears to be based on better intelligence gathering, filtering and assessment, and this element ought to be solidified and augmented.

Upon reflection, however, one has to ask whether, in an analogous fashion to the Disciplined Forces and the Government which deploys them, there is not an organised group that is deploying the gang that refuses to disappear. There have been credible reports that there are “political sophisticates” who are utilising the gang to wage “politics by other means” on the Government and the state. This would make the activities of the gang not merely criminal, but, more precisely, terroristic.

It is this element that is most worrying, and which must be eliminated if we are to have lasting success against the crime wave that has enveloped our country. The President has noted that if the activities of the Hydra-headed gang were removed from the figures, then the crime rate in our country would not be so hair-raising.

Our contention is that our crime-fighting forces will have to not only take-out the remnants of the gang, but will have to infiltrate it so as to gather intelligence on the real controllers, who may be pulling the strings.

Only when they are fingered and eliminated will it be possible to breathe the last sigh of relief. In the meantime, once again, congrats to the Government and the Disciplined Forces on their latest success!

Latest News

Security success

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| April, 4th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

President’s College upstage Santa Rosa to advance into Quarters

CWI withdraws penalty on John Campbell following...

‘One Guyana’ 3×3 Quest Basketball opens...

GCA, East Coast surge to huge wins

GFF/Concacaf kick off two-day Match Commissioners...

Chase’s Academic outclass Bartica to move...

Features/Columnists

Anticipation without preparation

The U.S. “Joining” the Commonwealth: an unreasonable expectation

Access to information should not come to this

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Security success

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| April, 4th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]