TAXI drivers, vendors and residents of Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo do not feel safe, noting that their community has been plagued with robberies and murders in the past few years. Their concerns have been reiterated with the recent brutal murder of Roland Jodmie, 24, who was shot and killed on Tuesday night.

During a visit to the community on Wednesday, several taxi drivers spared no effort to express their frustration with the crime situation in the community.
They are seeking an audience with Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan as they want more police presence in the area.
The taxi drivers, most of whom declined to state their names, told the Guyana Chronicle that with the recent spike in crime, a police outpost should be placed at the head of the new scheme.
The men also bemoaned the state of the community police outpost stationed at Block 8, in the housing scheme.
The building is made out of an iron container and is covered by a zinc shed and several sheets of plyboard.
“I don’t feel safe working here at night, especially in the ‘Blacka’ where Roland was shot,” one taxi driver said.
He said that area is known to be a dangerous place, pointing out that a lot of criminal activities occur there.
“Three years ago another taxi driver was murdered in that same area… them bandits stabbed him five times about his body and rob him,” the man said.
Another taxi driver also told this publication that the officers there would always refer complainants to the Leonora Police Station.
“Last week bandits broke into my home and when I went to the outpost, the officer told me to go to Leonora, because they can’t do nothing,” the man stressed.
The drivers disclosed that at night the market area would become a safe-haven for drug addicts and criminal activities.
The community this year has had more than seven murders and a number of break and entries, robberies and petty larceny.
Meanwhile, vendors are calling for more police presence in the scheme in light of its growing population.
“I report to the officers at the outpost last week that a man stole my bicycle and 100 sapodillas, but I see that the man still walking the road,” R Ally, a vendor who was not afraid to be identified, said.
Ally plans to voice his concern about police officers and criminal activities in the area with Divisional Commander Assistant Commissioner Leslie James.
Another vendor related that drug addicts usually target market stalls at night.
“Monday thief broke into a lady stall and raid the place… now the woman say she’s afraid to sell in this place because it don’t have proper policing,” the vendor said.
According to vendors, because of the spike in crime, many persons have abandoned their businesses and stalls.