CONSEQUENCES OF CRIME

Oct 28, 2018 Editorial

With attempts by society to understand the high crime rate in Guyana, especially murder, it is difficult to fathom why there is such disregard for human life in the country. Neither can the public fathom Government’s inability to tackle this scourge in society nor the cluelessness by the criminals to murder.
Every time the people think that they have faced the unimaginable, out of nowhere comes another crime that have shocked them at a whole new level.
It has been known for quite some time that no one is safe in the country. The brutal murders of elderly men and women are most shocking because the elderly conjure up images of innocence, harmless, love, care and nurturing. How could anyone murder them?
While the government has implemented measures to curb crime, they are not enough. A more robust crime fighting strategy is needed to solve the problem. Although the majority of murders and other heinous crimes have resulted in criminal convictions, crime continues to occur with horrific banality.
It is time for the Minister of Public Security and the government to be held accountable for the appalling statistics of crime in the country, but society has to recognize its responsibilities at all levels to help solve crime.
Crime flourishes like a malignant cancer in the country, therefore, everyone in society should help tackle it regardless of party affiliation or whichever government is in power. The traditional attitude has been that crime is the problem of the government or the police. But the police have for a very long time been saying that crime reduction requires community activism and support. However, the police themselves have a huge trust deficit with the society, especially with youths, which inhibits their cooperation with the police.
The public would be naive not to acknowledge that many police officers of almost every rank are corrupt and that the force lacks the competence and commitment within its ranks to effectively fight crime.
The truth is there can be little real improvement in the crime situation without real cooperation between the communities and the police. Crime, obviously, is having an adverse effect on the growth of the economy and more importantly on the citizenry.
It is therefore incumbent on the government to recognize and obviously determine courses of action and act in a focused way to resolve this crime scourge on the country. But as citizens, we should be reminded that the ultimate life to which we are called do not preclude us from taking responsibility for our communities and our society.
Indeed, we too must do our part in our communities by being vigilant, by agitating for purposeful official action, and by reporting suspicious activity and incidents to the police.
Due to the high crime rate, the population, especially the elderly, have succumbed to fear. They have surrendered to the criminal elements in society. The fear and a sense of helplessness have helped to fuel crime and embolden the criminals to act with impunity.
Crime has turned many into despair and has forced them to seek refuge in their homes behind barred windows and doors. Bold action by the authorities is needed to solve the worsening crime situation and end the fears.
It is time for the government to implement an elite police unit with technological devices and resources to deal with the criminals. And it is certainly time for judges and magistrates to put the citizens first and recognize that justice is not served when slothful prosecutions and the delaying tactics of lawyers. Justice delayed is justice denied.