Too many guns in the town

Jul 22, 2025 Editorial, News

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Kaieteur News – In recent times there has been a rash of gun crimes across the country- many of them resulting in persons losing their lives.

The most recent one saw a young teacher in Linden, Jenel Pollydore being gunned down by her ex-boyfriend during a wedding reception Saturday evening. Before that incident, we had the wanton killing of two men on the Buxton Linetop, followed by another execution-style killing in Linden. There have been several others as well as daily armed robberies across this country.

Deputy Commissioner of Law Enforcement, Wendell Blanhum during a presentation of crime statistics late last year had acknowledged that armed robbery, particularly involving firearms, remains the most prevalent crime of concern. Blanhum had said that pistols, especially high-capacity models with the ability to hold up to 17 rounds, are the firearms of choice among criminals.

These weapons he said are favoured due to their easy concealment and greater ammunition capacity. The deputy commissioner had also pointed out that in response to the alarming increase in illegal firearms, the police had made significant strides in recovering weapons, with a record 162 firearms seized in 2024—the highest in a decade.

Spiraling gun violence is a fact of life in Guyana today. It is almost the exception when a firearm and its usage (threatened or actual) is not part of the mix, meaning, crime on the street, or something going on in the home. It does not have to be the direct costs to victims and their families, but such costs extend to the workplace, particularly if a state agency, in terms of lost man hours and productivity, and the sums expended on training, with seepages into the wider economy.

We have had gun amnesties, with negligible results. We have a porous border, with a well-earned reputation for gun smuggling, leading to a possibly continuing influx of weapons. We have uncertainties about what happens on our streets when law enforcement encounters an illegal firearm, relative to what and who is taken in versus let go. We have strict laws, but regarding confidence in the consistency of enforcement of those laws, that is up in the air. What we do know is that there are many guns, and their uses cost us heavily. When the costs are totalled, the prices are steep, especially for quality of life. We hope that our politicians are listening especially at this time when they are busy around the country begging for votes and plan on doing more, with a quality security apparatus, and going after real criminals and not imagined ones.

Gun violence in Guyana has become an increasingly urgent issue, one that threatens not only lives, but the fabric of communities and the nation’s overall sense of security. Once considered sporadic and isolated, firearm-related crimes have grown more frequent, more brazen, and more devastating. Over the past few years, Guyana has witnessed an uptick in armed robberies, gang-related shootings, and even domestic incidents that escalate to fatal violence due to the ready availability of guns. Each report, whether from Georgetown, rural villages, or border towns reveals a troubling trend: illegal firearms are far too accessible, and enforcement measures are struggling to keep up.

There are multiple root causes fueling this crisis. First and foremost is the porousness of Guyana’s borders, which allows the smuggling of illegal weapons from neighbouring countries such as Brazil. Weak enforcement infrastructure and limited resources in rural areas make it easier for these weapons to circulate without consequence.

Secondly, poverty and youth unemployment remain pressing concerns. Despite the US$ billions trickling in from the oil sector, countless citizens remain stuck in poverty. For many young people, crime often facilitated by access to firearms offers a false sense of power and a dangerous path to economic survival. The rise of organised gangs and criminal networks, some with transnational ties, further exacerbates the issue, dragging young people into cycles of violence and retaliation.

To effectively tackle gun violence, Guyana needs a multi-pronged approach, which must include stronger border control and greater investment in border security and surveillance technology. International partnerships with Brazil, Suriname, and Venezuela must be strengthened to curb arms trafficking. Gun violence is not just a crime issue, it is a public health, economic, and human rights crisis. Every life lost to a bullet is a tragedy that ripples through families and communities. Government must act with urgency, resolve, and compassion to reverse this tide. The future of the nation depends on it.

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• armed robberies, Editorial, gun crimes, guns, illegal firearm, shot

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