Catching a killer at 3 a.m.

Dec 29, 2016 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

By now the world knows how the Tunisian terrorist who murdered twelve persons in Berlin with a truck was caught. A street patrol of two policemen approached him at a train station in Italy. The confrontation took place at 3 a.m. Obviously they do nocturnal foot patrols in Italy; not only in Italy, perhaps in the rest of the world, except Guyana.
Each time I am driving after 9 p.m. going home and I pass in the heart of the city, I always wonder where the policemen are. You never see foot patrols in Guyana during the night.
One evening last week, at around 7 p..m, I dropped off Tiana Cole, a Kaieteur News journalist at Idiho, the Banks DIH outlet on Brickdam opposite Parliament building. I stopped at the western section of the junction of Brickdam and High Street to let her off. I said to her I would wait in my car and watch as she makes her way west on the pavement parallel to St. Andrews’ Church to Idiho, because the place was lonely. I do not see police foot patrols at the night in Guyana. I don’t doubt they drive around.
During the day, there are anti-crime cops on motor cycles. They normally patrol in pairs. These guys are ubiquitous. There are all over the place. I cannot begin to count the number of times, I see them targeting and profiling innocent citizens. In Eping Avenue in Bel Air Park, a Brazilian woman pulled up rashly next to me, came out of her car, yelling to me; “Look them, look them.” I asked her what the hell was going on. She said the two anti-crime guys that just passed me like to shake her down all the time.
I drove behind them. They saw me and began to pull away at terrible speed. I wasn’t into that, so I went on my way. I reported them to their superior at Brickdam who was unapologetic. He stood there and defended them, even though I told him what the lady said. There and then I suspect there may be a venal nexus between lower ranks shaking down motorists and the senior officers. It is an alleged secret that the juniors raise money from these schemes and senior officers get a percentage.
A very senior official of the Guyana Cricket Board showed me incontrovertible proof where a senior police officer requested from his relatives, airline tickets for him and his wife, in exchange for freedom from harassment; his relative had three minibuses.
But anyway let’s get back to street patrols. Where are these anti-crime guys in the nights that we see daily on their motor cycles? Are they afraid of the night or is it a policy that when sundown comes, they put up their Harley-Davidsons until the sun comes up the next day?
If you drive through the heart of downtown Georgetown after 8 p.m. you will see clerks, nurses, students taking popular streets to get to the East Coast, East Bank and South Georgetown car parks, and these people are easy prey for sadistic criminals. But not a police patrol in sight. Drive to the airport from Georgetown between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. and you are likely to encounter elephants walking on the deserted East Bank highway than any kind of police patrol, whether on motor cycles on in cars.
What a predictable country we live in. Did you expect an outpouring of rage by the public and important stakeholders over the police fiasco at Springlands? The victim and his neighbours were frantically calling the big boys in the force, even those in Georgetown, while the gang was preoccupied trying to get into his house. The entire episode lasted for almost 40 minutes, but the police were a no-show.
Any country has to be a failed state when a gang of fifteen men could take 20 minutes to break into a resident’s house, while 10 of their acolytes spread out on the streets waiting for a confrontation with the police. They stole money and got away. The incident took place five minutes drive from one of the main police stations in Berbice.
With all the horrible crimes that have been taking place in Berbice, one would expect a rapid response unit to be stationed in Berbice. Guess what the police are exceedingly successful at in Berbice? Raiding marijuana farms.
I am in the National Park every day. When the SWAT team was set up, I saw them being trained there for weeks. I would pass them, and offer a cynical smile. Where is the SWAT team? Who or what swatted them out of existence?

Latest News

Catching a killer at 3 a.m.

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

The wait is over, all roads lead to KMTC for their Grand Boxing Day...

Xhiya Hercules – flipping the script towards...

Road Warriors, Bent Street, Team Cruel &...

Deol maiden hundred outshines Matthews’ as...

Moraikobai village two days football competition...

BCB thanks cricket fraternity for strong support...

Features/Columnists

Merry Christmas, Ya Filthy Animals!

Breaking the Chains of Poverty: A need for political will

Christmas – reality and possibility

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Catching a killer at 3 a.m.

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]