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Police inaction always breeds lawlessness
Dear Sir
I am writing this in the hope that its contents will attract the attention of someone who has the authority to stop our slide into an anarchic situation from which it will be difficult to retrieve.
On the late afternoon of Thursday June 7, 2018 while driving into my yard, a light truck with a lot of musical accoutrements passed announcing a public party at a venue obliquely east of the old filling station on Saturday June 9, 2018 in Support on the East Bank of Demerara.
I live a few houses north of the announced venue of this public party and immediately felt the trepidation of another sleepless night.
We have been experiencing sleepless half nights every Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights because of the playing of extremely loud music emanating from this premises. This started more than a year ago. At that time the sound of the music barely reached my home, but over time the Dee Jay became more ambitious and began increasing the decibels until it became a nuisance. After working the entire week, when I expected to relax with my wife and enjoy a television show’ that became impossible.
Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights we are treated to such loud music that we could hardly hear the television even when its volume is turned up to the loudest.
Recalling this experience and the trepidation I felt at the announcement referred to earlier in this letter, I decided to go to the police station at Timehri and request the police to enforce the law and ensure that the noise level is within that stipulated by the laws of Guyana. That was at 1:00 pm or 13:00 hours.
At the time there were some four constables and a corporal present. On instructions, one of the constables was asked to take a statement from me. What was deemed a statement was taken from me on a scrap of paper and all that I was asked was my name, my address, my phone number and the location of the party venue.
In fact, three of the constables knew exactly where and what I was complaining about. I was even told that I was not the first person to lodge a complaint of this noise nuisance.
About 7:00 pm when the music commenced, I called the station and enquired about whether the police advised the promoters and dee jay of the noise level which was permissible. I was told then that the patrol was out on urgent and more immediate business and that as soon as it returns, it would have visited the site. The noise continued.
About 11.33 pm, with the music sounding even louder, I again called the station only to be told that the patrol vehicle broke down and no one from the station could get down to the area. The village of Support is situated approximately 10 miles from the Timehri station on the East Bank public road.
The noise continued while my wife and I struggled to sleep. Not being to, I called back at 2.44 am and advised the station that the noise was continuing and we could not sleep. Then I was told by the person taking the call at the station that the matter would have been dealt with later in the morning. The party and loud music continued about 6 am after which my wife and I got some sleep.
I have related this incident, not only to highlight the fact that in this case we were not protected and served by the Guyana Police force, but that similar inaction might be responsible for the larger issue of lawlessness which has pervaded our country in recent times.
One only has to venture onto the roads of Guyana to realise the anarchy that exists there. Some drivers believe that the roads allow for a free for all where traffic lights and driving lanes do not matter, where “undertaking” is the order of the day and where it is okay to bully those who try to observe the traffic code.
Then there are other areas of near anarchy such as illegally constructing bars on the road shoulders as exists by the Soesdyke Highway junction, the noise nuisance created from the various music boxes competing for loudness and the traffic hazard caused at the weekend by patrons visiting these bars.
What I’ve outlined above are small examples of the lawlessness which inaction by the authorities can cause. We have a way of suddenly waking up and taking action when something serious happens.
For heaven and our sake, do something to curb all indiscretions before they become plague-like.
Yours faithfully,
Lancelot McCaskey
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