SOMETIME ago I wrote on the penalties meted out to persons who run foul of the law in gun crimes and drunken driving, that these individuals are to receive longer sentencing. To date my pleas have fallen on deaf ears and the nonsense continues. I have before me two items from the Kaieteur News for discussion “Cop who lost gun dismissed” and another, ” Drunk driver fined for accident with Police Commissioner’s vehicle” In the first case mentioned that cop concocted a story after the matter came up under investigative scrutiny and to top it off, his only punishment was a dismissal!  Anyone with half a brain would recognise straightaway that he is in that popular and lucrative business of firearm rental and that he was caught flat-footed after the matter came out into the open. In my book he should be sent away for a very long time nothing short of that.
In Guyana today these stories of lost firearms and the punishment that goes with it is but a big joke. Not so long ago the army’s arsenal “lost” firearms, 31 high powered guns to be exact, it is interesting to note what became of those officers on duty that night? Heinous gun crimes are committed on a daily basis yet our courts continue to issue such light sentences which causes one to wonder are we serious when we speak of bringing a halt to this sort of thing or are we waiting for another Lusignan and Bartica massacres?  If we are to make any headway in bringing the murder rate down, gun crimes sentencing must be significantly increased so that these offenders cannot bother society anymore.
In the second article mentioned, that drunk driver was only fined G$7,500 fantastic! Such a paltry sum for a man commandeering a potentially deadly machine makes me wonder if those administering justice are in their right minds. Yes the answer to that is he did not kill anyone but I would hasten to add yet to that statement; so are we tacitly saying drunk driving is not a crime after all and one need to cause death before any action can be taken. Again I make the call for a revision of the penalties involving these crimes it will be a deterrent for another unfit road user.