Latest update May 3rd, 2026 12:45 AM
Latest News
- First quarter report: Record high oil production in Guyana drives industry-leading profits for Exxon
- US$39.5B in oil already pumped from Liza 1&2 but Guyana only received US$5.9B
- Chinese company seeks licences for six fishing vessels in Guyana
- Israeli air strikes on Lebanon kill 41 people in 24-hours; over 1 million displaced
- Youths arrested after armed robbery of Unity shopkeeper
ILLEGAL GUNS
Something dreadful is happening in Guyana that is influencing crime and gun violence. The murder toll for the year so far has exceeded that of the same period in 2015. The inexplicable spike in homicides in the New Year cannot be of any comfort, particularly when law-abiding citizens are feeling a sense of hopelessness and vulnerability.
Many are now forced to resort to staying indoors under lock and key. It seems no one is safe from the criminals, who are bent on terrorizing and wreaking havoc. Too many people are being murdered. Too many illegal guns are circulating. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to recognise that illegal guns in the hands of criminals spell abundant trouble.
The facts speak for themselves and urgent intervention at the highest level is required. This senseless cannot be allowed to continue. The mistakes of the past years should serve as a good tutorial on crime should be dealt with. The type of brutal murders that have occurred this year should serve as a warning to law enforcement that the criminals do not respect anyone, old or young. There is no respect for any type of authority. The ease with which murders are being committed is of national concern.
The police obviously cannot be everywhere all the time, but for years, we have been promised an expanded network of closed circuit television cameras to supplement in this regard. This system is of utmost importance at this time. Reliance on these extended ‘eyes’ to help increase the detection, prevention and/or apprehension rate remains in the balance. Civil society appears to have reached a tipping point, as it is evident that strategies being utilized to address gun violence and murders in the country have not made the desired impact to curtail the violence that has become so commonplace.
And while guns are the weapons of choice used in almost all of the murders, they are not sold over the counter in Guyana, so there remains the problem of their source. It is reasonable to assume that there is a massive trading of illegal weapons taking place along the shores and points of entry into the country, and this still is the subject of talk for better surveillance but so far, there has been little in terms of definitive action.
When in opposition, the current government was highly critical of the previous administration for its lacklustre approach to the crime situation. The shoe being now placed on the other foot, the administration must know that the patience of the people is growing thin.
After eight months in office, and given the optimism provided by those who claimed to have all the answers, the people expected the government to be in control of the crime situation. The prevailing silence in the face of rampant lawlessness has resulted in the belief that the administration does not know what to do.
It is almost certain that in the lead-up to the 50th Independence celebrations, gun violence will continue to dominate the headlines. It will be a grim reminder that even though the country is sovereign, it has fallen woefully short of doing the best it could in terms of internal security.
Statements pledging to get tough on the criminals will not suffice without the necessary resources, manpower and infrastructure to address the issue in a systematic and meaningful way. Those given the responsibility must get to the heart of the problem versus playing politics or indulging in the blame game. Everyone is depending on them to provide the safety we have long deserved, and rightfully so. It starts with an even greater effort to curtail the availability of illegal guns.
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