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Govt’s actions have laid the foundation for what you are seeing now

Jul 13, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,  
There is a socio-psychological aspect to the surge in crime in Guyana that the government is partly responsible for through their actions during and after the recent elections. You can sense that the criminals are behaving in a manner of immunity to law enforcement, as if the streets belong to them and they have the right to take other people’s property and life with no fear of punishment.
The President pardoned 60 criminals and told them to “go forth and sin no more”, however, his greatest sin was sending a message of sympathy and appeasement that embolden hard core criminals to murder and rob, thinking that this government is not being aggressive enough to come after them.  These public actions by APNU have laid the foundation for what you are seeing now.
After countless murders and robberies, we now see their “master plan” for tackling crime by way of border control, increased police presence on patrol, fixing 911 and the “ingenious” 2am curfew.  But I really wonder if this will have any immediate impact on stopping the murders that are happening now. Let’s put ourselves in the place of the victims and their families and ask whether this “master plan” will bring anyone to justice or prevent further killings.  And the answer is no, because anyone who knows  history and saw how crime is reduced in many countries, would see a common trend and that is, crime has always been reduced by sending a strong message into the hearts and minds of the criminals.
This is done by first reassuring the public that you have the right person for the job who will provide a clear and decisive strategy for combating crime. Secondly, make an example of the criminals when they are caught, by applying swift and aggressive justice that is highly publicized. Third, hold the crooked “cops” accountable by jailing them too in highly publicized cases. Fourth, strengthen the neighborhood watch programs with the right training and tactical support, since they are the eyes on the ground and have a more vested interest to protect their communities. Fifth, strengthen the undercover and intelligence gathering program to infiltrate the hot spots of criminals.
On the law enforcement side, you should be creating incentives for officers, such as concessions for homes and vehicles and give them a special place in society so that they are respected by the people they protect.
If the Minister of National Security is not reassuring the public with a plan that is rooted along these lines, then he should be fired immediately or have the decency and resign. Of course, these are suggestions from an average person who did not promise the Guyanese people to have all the solutions to their problems just to get their votes. So it would seem that this government has fooled the people just to get power and now they are unable to provide real solutions.
Since I was criticized by APNU supporters in my last letter for not providing solutions, I decided to give these simple guidelines to this Government in the name of safety for my country men and women.
Malcolm Watkins

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