Society is its own enemy

Aug 27, 2014 Editorial

Society can sometimes be its worst enemy. It fashion laws to achieve certain ends, but given that laws are for people, those who dare defy the laws then put society against itself. There are laws that are intended to serve as deterrents for certain criminal acts, but these days it would seem as if those laws are nothing but something on the statutes.
Examples can be found in the number of killings that seem to take place these days. Ever since the turn of the century people in Guyana have been killing at a rate that far exceeds what took place in the past. It would seem that every dispute ends in a murder. People no longer seem to fear the consequences of a killing and this is a worrying thing.
Two men walk into a restaurant and unhesitatingly shoot a waitress dead. Not one of them considered that if caught, the penalty for a robbery is less severe than the penalty for a murder. It is as if these new breed of criminals equate the penalty for armed robbery with the penalty for murder.
Some argue that the criminal never anticipates being caught so he does not weigh the consequences. About two years ago, leader of the People’s National Congress David Granger, when asked about the escalating crime situation, said that crime was on the increase because the police were not solving enough to provide a deterrent.
At the time what he said made sense. In the more developed countries, the police invariably solved crimes because they were like bulldogs, never relinquishing the pursuit of the criminal, even if it takes years. Such has been the case, that the reports are that the jails are overcrowded. Today to their credit the police are solving crimes; they are catching armed robbers and gunmen who kill people during robberies.
The jails are also overcrowded in Guyana, but for a different reason. The courts do not dispose of cases as fast as they should. The result is that the remand section of the jail has the greatest number of prisoners. This in turn leads to the courts granting bail to some people who should remain in jail and the continuation of a life of crime for those granted bail.
One man having just been granted bail promptly proceeded to go on the road and rob a woman. He was quickly caught and returned to court.
What this action tells is that people, particularly criminals, are not too worried about the sanction. It also suggests that the criminal expects to be back on the streets in the not too distant future. It is the same with those who mill at the drop of a hat. Far too many are set free either because of poor preparation by the police or because reliable evidence is not presented in the courts.
But when there is a conviction, sometimes the sentencing seems inadequate. Guyana since the 1990s appeared to have abandoned the death penalty, with the result that the so-called Death Row was overcrowded. Before long, enterprising lawyers began to petition the courts on humanitarian grounds and to secure the commuting of the death penalty.
There is one judge who hands down sentences designed to keep the killer off the streets, but even here we see society going back on itself. There are those who begin to talk about the severity of sentence.
One thing that has emerged from the increased crime situation is the introduction of security cameras at the numerous business places. One would have expected that these would have served as deterrents, but it is either that the gunmen are so uncaring that nothing would deter them.
This week the police said that the cameras helped them identify the killers of the waitress. The feeling is that a conviction is a done deal, but from a recent experience we do know that this is not the case. The big issue is to have the video evidence properly presented in court and there are lawyers who would challenge this.
Since lawyers are part of the society, one is left to wonder about society seeking to put away criminals and defending them at the same time.

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