The holidays have not been all bad

Dec 28, 2010 Editorial

The holidays brought to the fore the extent to which Guyanese long for family and friends, for seasonal foods, especially those that have become firmly associated with the season, and of course returning Guyanese. The airlines did brisk business shuttling people from the cold climates to this part of the world where the worst that could happen would be rain.
The kind of news that left this country did nothing to daunt the spirit of the visiting overseas-based Guyanese because they all know that crime exists in every society and that they would be safer in Guyana than in their adopted homeland.
They came and from all indications they are enjoying themselves. They are eating and making merry; they are meeting with friends and almost all of them have been smart enough to avoid unnecessary travel. And this is the issue that is most worrying at this time.
Over the past three days there were no less than seven road accidents, most of them serious. And it is not that those using the roadways are not aware of what traffic officials call the five ‘Cs’. It was simply a case of indiscipline and lawlessness. How can one explain the blatant disregard for the traffic signals?
In one case, a media operative reportedly failed to stop at a major road. He is now a patient in the Intensive Care Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital. Speed was at the centre of the other accidents. Cars jumped medians to slam into approaching vehicles; drunk drivers felt that it was their prerogative to use the roads as they saw fit.
The police, in the run up to the holidays, outlined plans to not only make the country as safe as possible, but to also make the roadways safe. They failed horribly in the latter case.
Then there were the criminals who sought to capitalize on the crowds. For the greater part, they were unsuccessful, because it appeared as though there were police ranks at every turn. However, there were those who picked the so-called soft targets.
There was the cambio on Regent Street that someone or some group targeted boldly. The crowds on the street outside did nothing to thwart them. They escaped with the safe and forced the closure of the cambio indefinitely.
Then there was the group that targeted the owner of New Thriving Restaurant as he was heading home with a substantial amount of cash. Others broke into cars that were parked with money inside and still others targeted a few who had patronized the commercial banks.
Suffice it to say that there were no violent robberies, although in a few cases, guns were drawn.
There was also the aberration—a kidnapping. Ever since the crime wave abated kidnappings became rare. There were four known cases, the most recent occurred just before Christmas Day.
The national anti-kidnapping squad went into action in each case and made arrests. What has not been said is whether they have been able to unearth any motive and the nation remains in the dark.
During the crime wave the nation was aware that all those kidnapped were taken for the ransom which went to further support the criminal activity. These recent kidnappings appear to be well planned but for no clear reason.
One carjacking that left a taxi driver dead seems to be clear cut. It was a case of someone wanting the car, but the brutality that accompanied the carjacking leaves one to wonder at the nature of the people in the criminal world.
In the cases of the kidnappings no one has been killed and the police say that ransom demands were not met. One can only hope that the police would keep the nation abreast of developments because without national support, the best measures are doomed to failure.
The holidays are not yet over but there have been some things from which the law enforcement officers could learn and prepare strategies that might save many others before the holidays are over.

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