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MURDERERS AND CRIMINALS

Oct 31, 2015 Editorial

Our children are at risk; a baby is murdered. Everyone should mourn one year old Arianne Gill who was brutally murdered in her home on the East Coast of Demerara by a felon. For this innocent one-year old to die in a hail of bullets is gut-wrenching. This cannot be allowed to continue.
Society must pressure the government to pass a law in Arianne Gill’s name to hang those who murder our babies, our children. Restraining orders against men have not worked in Guyana. They have put women more at risk of being murdered by their partners. Did the system fail Baby Arianne? Could more have been done to protect her and her grandmother?
Fighting crime in Guyana is extremely difficult for the government and the police. Criminals are organized and they have powerful weapons. There is hardly a law-abiding citizen who has not felt some measure of fear or unease as a result of crime, particularly those that have ended with a loss of life. It is not difficult for criminals or jilted male lovers to resort to deadly violence against innocent citizens or their loved ones.
Communities that were once viewed as peaceful and virtually crime-free are now cowering in fear because of criminals who do not respect the sanctity of life.
The latest Police statistics revealed that there have been 117 murders, 896 armed robberies and 224 cases of rape for the year, a significant increase compared to the same period last year. It suggests that the Police may be losing their grip in their bid to prevent murders and other serious crimes. This should be a cause of concern for everyone.
Criminals are emboldened when they get away with murder and also when crimes of violence go unsolved. Fortunately, in Guyana the police are solving an increasing number of crimes. In fact, the crime solving rate has jumped significantly. Arianne Gill’s murderer was a convict. He had been caught repeatedly.
The government must act to deter violence. It cannot afford to be perceived by the people as being powerless against criminals. The men and women of the police force find themselves on the firing line every day and they deserve the full support of the citizens.
The nation must commend the government, especially the Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan for a successful gun Amnesty programme and the police for the exceptional work in response to the recent and persistent upsurge in crime and violence. But they have to do more.
A sustainable and successful anti-crime strategy must include a sound plan, an efficient, competent and professional police force and input from the people to bring crime under control. Having police and soldiers on patrol would obviously serve to deter criminals in the short term. But that strategy by itself has its limitations.The citizens must be the eyes and ears of the police in their communities but they do not, because they distrust the police and fear reprisals and retribution from the criminals.
The police cannot solve crimes alone. They need the support of the people. The communities must be organized and strengthened in order to rebuild the people’s confidence. Organized communities with neighbourhood watch-groups are more effective in supporting the police in the fight against crime. Criminals are likely to keep their distance from them.
In disorganized communities, the people feel like they are on their own and would not cooperate with the police. This has led the criminals to believe that their chances of being caught are slim, therefore, they will become more inclined to perpetrate crimes against anyone.
By the same token, if murderers believe they are untouchable, they would be emboldened to kill again. Most crimes are committed by youths who have become desensitized to violence largely because they are not afraid of the consequences.

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