Guns, drugs, gangs & the security sector in Guyana

Oct 04, 2010 Letters

Dear Editor,
The refusal of the Government of Guyana to accept support from its British counterparts continues to boggle my mind and perhaps even members of the security forces, who I believe (the majority), were looking forward to enhancing their skills at crime prevention, citizen security and enhance community/police relations.
This nonsensical episode climaxed in December of 2009, fast forward to August 2010. Our learned Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Clement Rohee added, “national security remains intact…The Guyana Defence Force, Guyana Prison Service, Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Fire Service are all up to speed to deal with any threat to the state.” (see Kaieteur News and SN articles on Security of State Not Under Threat-Rohee dated September 10, 2010 and August 26, 2010 respectively).
In case Mr. Rohee is sleeping or simply pandering to his political elite ilk, here are the facts. It matters not that I provide evidence, this will be anecdotal, what matters is that we continue to witness assignation type killings on a regular basis, drug running is not only institutionalized, it has become inter-woven into the fabric of Guyanese society, the proliferations of guns in our society would probably challenge the per capita gun ownership of a nation with similar population size and structure and current as well as former policemen and soldiers have found contractual employment as paid killers, enforcers and bodyguards of criminal elements.
The evidence of unsolved murders, increased presence of drug-addicts not only in central Georgetown but also throughout coastal and river bank communities, the alarming of number of ex-police officers of soldiers either wanted, killed and captured or known to be associated with the illicit narcotic and gun trade should be enough to expose the callous remarks made by the learned Minister.
These remarks reveal that Mr. Rohee is playing politics with the security and development and lives of the Guyanese people.
I will not attempt to assume that his remarks were made in keeping with political practices of the wider PPP government, or that they are evidence to indicate that the Government and Mr. Rohee are pressured to make certain statements and limit security sector reform, due to their alleged role in stirring the pot.
What I will say is that the evidence is overwhelming that violence, illicit narcotics, the proliferation of illegal guns in Guyana and the involvement of former security sector officers in crime, more specifically the illicit narcotic and gun trade is a known feature of Guyanese society.
Locally, regionally and international this is a fact. Gangs designed for different aspects of the web of criminality engulfing Guyana are rampant and diversifying their modus operandi.
The security sector is by no means equipped to deal with this scenario much less prevent and control it. Comprehensive programmes to deal with gun control, drug prevention, etc. are practiced the world throughout.
Does our local security sector have such programmes at national and community levels? We are in serious trouble and the Government would do best to see the writing on the wall lest the monster that they feed soon becomes too much to handle.
Mr. Rohee’s statement is much about nothing and much about a lot of things. He and I have to infer that the Government of Guyana as well are more interested in their protection and security, financial well-being and development than that of the masses.
It’s no surprise that the Government has come under fire, literally and figuratively over the last several years. The energy and enthusiasm displayed for the Low Carbon Development Strategy must be equal and greater for Security Sector Reform in Guyana.
Concerned Guyanese

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