The police face serious risks in the line of duty

Nov 21, 2009 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

The terrifying ordeal of that family from New Jersey who was attacked at Hampshire on the Corentyne and robbed of millions, is going to send shivers down the spines of many Guyanese who are planning to return home for the holidays.
When a crime of this nature takes place, when persons are held up in the sanctity of their homes, it is quite unlike anything that they would experience in the United States and it is bound to be news in the Tri State area and is equally bound to raise concerns of many who are hoping to come home for the holidays.
Security or rather the lack of security is one of the prime disincentives for persons desirous of returning home to spend a vacation. Many are scared that the experience endured by that family will visit them if they decide to come to Guyana and thus they prefer to remain cooped up in the cold winter rather than return and have a great time in Guyana.
It is unfortunate, therefore, that crimes that occur in Guyana so colour the mood of many who wish to come back home. It is unfortunate also because one in every thousand visitors, perhaps even more suffers some form of inconvenience while vacationing in Guyana; the vast majority of those who come back have incident free vacations and have a great time.
However, we cannot simply dismiss the impact of a robbery on those wishing to come. And as such it is important that the authorities recognise how damaging economically is the impact of crime on tourism. Those who attacked that family on the Corentyne must be caught because as long as they remain out there, their mere presence even if inactive is going to discourage persons from coming back home for the holidays.
The Joint Services must therefore launch a full out investigation and manhunt for those who carried out these attacks. They should deploy their full arsenal of investigative skills to capture the criminals who carried out the attacks and bring them to justice in front of a court of law.
It is important that swift and decisive action be taken to reduce the tensions within the Ancient County which in unaccustomed to this level of crime. There was a time when Berbicians used to boast about being the most peaceful party of the country while crime was on the upsurge on East Coast Demerara and in Georgetown.
All Berbicians must accept the responsibility to play a part in the reduction of crime. People have got to look out for one another and to support the police in their work. Crime will affect the fortunes of all Guyanese and therefore needs to be reduced if not eradicated.
The Joint Services have come under severe criticism in recent times over the manner in which some cases have been dealt with. The Commissioner of Police, I believe, is serious about improving the image of the Guyana Police Force.
Significant progress in the reduction of crime has taken place under his watch but these sudden flare ups can undermine the good work that the Force has done over the past few years.
It is therefore important that the Joint Services combine to rout the present crime situation, especially as we near the peak Christmas Season. Already we are seeing a great many beat duty policemen and women on the streets. This is assuring but one wonders how effective will these ranks be as a deterrent to crime, especially considering that today we have an increase in crimes involving the use of firearms as compared to the distant past when beat duty was an effective remedy against choke and rob.
Today it is gun butt and main crimes and therefore what is needed is more mobile patrols to supplement to physical presence of the bear-duty cops on the roadways.
There are quite a number of Black Clothes cops riding around on motorcycles. But many of them seem interested in pulling over vehicles to check for documents rather than doing more serious police work.
The Commissioner however seems to be in a no nonsense mood and is holding his ranks accountable for their responsiveness to crime. The public must support the police in their work because as we have seen a policeman was shot while responding to the criminal attack at Hampshire.
Ranks put their lives on the line in responding to crime and therefore the good they do must be appreciated. I wish them luck in finding the criminals that carried out that terrifying attack on the family from New Jersey. We all should.

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