Latest update February 23rd, 2025 1:40 PM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Why are anti-crime ranks so preoccupied with traffic concerns?

Aug 24, 2011 Peeping Tom

 

Each day anti-crime ranks of the Guyana Police Force can be seen on patrol, some on motorcycles, some in pickups and others in fancy cars. Each day, many of these patrols can be seen obsessed with stopping motorists to verify their documents. The traffic section is having a great deal of help from these ranks. Who knows, there may come a time when these anti-crime patrols will fully assume the duties of traffic officers.
There is obviously nothing wrong with anti-crime ranks stopping motorists and checking the particulars of their documents to see that these comply with the law. Sometimes these checks lead to searches of vehicles and persons which unearth other leads and subsequently lead to arrests. But one can safely assume that the percentage of document checks that leads to the discovery of other criminal conduct is very small indeed.
The increased preoccupation of anti-crime ranks with traffic concerns must be seen in the context, in recent days, of a spike in criminal activities involving the use of dangerous weapons. The pattern of these types of crimes has always been that it has a domino effect until it is brought under control.
A foreigner reading about these incidents would believe that Guyana is overflowing with criminals. The reality is that only a small percentage of the population, one may estimate as under 1%, are involved in criminal conduct. The overwhelming majority are law-abiding decent citizens who do not engage in crime.
Why therefore should this tiny minority make things so miserable for the rest of the population? Why should such a minuscule number of individuals, relative to the overall population, bring so much fear and terror into the lives of citizens, so much so that the crime level is one of the reasons why so many persons leave this country, why Guyana has a bad image and why so many who reside here cannot do the things they want because they fear being mugged?
This is not right. We are spending billions of dollars each year on the security forces, and better should and can be done to deal with these criminal attacks. Instead of anti-crime ranks giving so much attention to suspected traffic violations, they should be concentrating their full efforts in bringing to justice those who rob, molest, injure and kill our citizens, those who invade our homes and make orphans and widows of so many of our citizens.
There was a time in Guyana when policemen were more concerned with contraband than with crime. This posed a real problem for law enforcement and eventually, the police realized what this was doing to their overall crime-fighting efforts at a time when kick-down-the-door banditry was dealing mortal blows on the society. The authorities made the necessary adjustments.
The government has been pumping massive resources into the crime fight, and they have not been obtaining value for money, even though there has been a relaxation in violent crime. The Commissioner of Police has been doing a good job and there have been other improvements. Lack of material resources or lack of leadership is not a problem.
A shift in focus will make a big difference; a few minor adjustments will improve things.
The anti-crime units on patrol need to focus more on catching criminals. This should be their focus. While it is within their ambit to arrest traffic violators, it would be much better for the performance of the Guyana Police Force if all anti-crime patrols are prohibited from traffic duties, and leave this function exclusively for traffic ranks.
If this is done, there will be greater success in arresting the under one per cent of the population that is making life so miserable for citizens and forcing all of us to be living like prisoners in our home and like scared children outside.

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| February, 14th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

The Battle for Barbados: One Guyana Racing Stable faces off against top U.S. Trainers for Gold Cup supremacy

The Battle for Barbados: One Guyana Racing Stable faces off against...

Feb 23, 2025

Kaieteur Sports- The battle lines are drawn. One Guyana Racing Stable is here to make history. With the post positions set for the 2025 Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup, all eyes are on Guyana’s rising...
Read More
Tyrrell breaks 12-year-old school record to claim SUNYAC-AMCC title

Tyrrell breaks 12-year-old school record to claim...

Feb 23, 2025

Raja Pooran inspires Everest Masters to victory in Costa Rica

Raja Pooran inspires Everest Masters to victory...

Feb 23, 2025

BCB saddened at the passing of the late Lennox Phillips, extends condolences

BCB saddened at the passing of the late Lennox...

Feb 23, 2025

Berbice Cricket Board names 15-man squad to participate in Inter County U15 cricket competition

Berbice Cricket Board names 15-man squad to...

Feb 23, 2025

 Slingerz FC shines at Guyana Energy Conference and Youth Forum

 Slingerz FC shines at Guyana Energy Conference...

Feb 22, 2025

Features/Columnists

  • Crowds, chaos and complaints

    Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- The folly of the cash grant distribution is a textbook case of what happens when a government,... more

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]