Latest update December 25th, 2024 1:10 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Massive crime reduction would be most welcomed

Jan 05, 2022 Editorial

Kaieteur News – Last year, the Region 4 Commander of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) said that there was a reduction in crime from the previous year (KN September 3). It is not just an ordinary reduction in serious crime, but a “massive” one, which the statistics, on the face of things, seem to reinforce. Yet, there is this continuing struggle to reconcile statistics with reality, and soothing statistics with the gnawing perception that the crime situation is not massively reduced in Region 4. Not reduced at all, but is going the other way, meaning that it is increasing and everywhere.
The last thing we at this paper would want to do is to think that Region 4 Commander, Simon McBean, is a party to any kind of statistical slickness. We think too well of him, and he has not given any cause for us to be otherwise. But here he is with his figures, and here are Guyanese out there, and there is the greatest difficulty in bridging the gap that exist, and which plague us on a daily basis, if not on a moment-by-moment basis. Indeed, life in this country, including the vast Region 4 that the Commander oversees is this scary and individually imperiling. Region 4 is where the busyness is, the business transactions (money) are, and where the rewarding criminal action could be, and actually is. But, according to the GPF and Commander McBean, the numbers point to a reduction, and they are real. We should believe them.
With all due respect to this senior police officer, we have trouble doing so. We are skeptical and, without putting any ideas in the heads of our fellow citizens, it is our belief that many Guyanese share our sense of doubt, the strong disbelief that is harboured. For sure, the numbers look lovely, but they don’t add up. They don’t have the strength of believability to them and worse, they do nothing to ease the feelings with which Guyanese live, not just in bustling Region 4, but throughout Guyana. There is this nagging sense that something is wrong, something could be missing, and as much as we want to accept what the GPF, through Commander McBean shared with us, we are hesitant, and stubbornly so. Now, since this reduction is all about numbers, we take a deep dive into them.
First, it is that there were 206 robberies for the first eight months of last year. For clarity, the Commander was kind enough to share the four categories of robberies involved, which we now compress: with a gun, with other weapons, with aggravation, and with violence. However looked at, all four have some common elements, particularly force, and regardless of instrument in hand, including the bare hand itself. In essence, what the GPF has put before Guyanese all over, is that given that eight-month period (January-August) -243 days – there was less than one crime a day that fits any or all of those four categories. It would be interesting to learn what robberies, if any, are being excluded from this count. Also, given the robberies versus number of days elapsed, it could be said that Region 4 is safer than around the White House and Buckingham Palace. In case anyone thinks we are joking, we couldn’t be more serious.
People at this paper were robbed recently by the ‘Big’ Market area, and that same teeming marketplace is a hotbed. One of the hottest of crimes seen and onlookers not saying anything; crime happening and citizens hurting. The Big Market area should be a robbery category all by itself, given the profusion of crime. This is not perception, but the reality of daily experience of commuters and shoppers.
Moreover, when a period-by-period comparison is attempted, fearful citizens lived with a robbery rate last year that is cut by almost half. This is almost livable with, if only the numbers could be found to be embraceable. It seems that everybody has a firearm these days. Yet robberies involving those have declined significantly – a whopping 42 percent drop; or for every five such crimes in 2020. This is all good, but does it give Guyanese less grief? Speaking for ourselves: no!

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 Horse race meet

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

Dec 25, 2024

Over 70 entries in as $7M in prizes at stake  By Samuel Whyte Kaieteur Sports- The time has come and the wait is over and its gallop time as the biggest event for the year-end season is set for the...
Read More
Xhiya Hercules – flipping the script towards Gymnastics history for Guyana

Xhiya Hercules – flipping the script towards...

Dec 25, 2024

Road Warriors, Bent Street, Team Cruel & Gold Is Money into quarter-finals

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

Dec 25, 2024

Deol maiden hundred outshines Matthews’ as India take series

Deol maiden hundred outshines Matthews’ as...

Dec 25, 2024

Moraikobai village two days football competition and fun day set for Old and New Year’s Day

Moraikobai village two days football competition...

Dec 25, 2024

BCB thanks cricket fraternity for strong support in 2024

BCB thanks cricket fraternity for strong support...

Dec 25, 2024

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]