THE Private Sector Commission (PSC) has called on President David Granger to intervene in shoring up the state’s response to the escalating crime situation here and also slammed the lack of a proper functioning emergency response telephone system. At a mid-afternoon press conference on Friday, the business umbrella body also called on the government to acknowledge publicly “that we have a problem with crime in Guyana,” noting that it is the only way “we can start to address the issue once all parties can acknowledge that a problem persists and start demanding collaboration across the board.”

Only last week former Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Retired Brigadier-General Mark Phillips, said that the incidence of gun-related crime in the country is at its highest, and has ranked the issue as the most pressing matter facing the society. Speaking in a private capacity at a security forum organised by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Phillips said he is aware of efforts made by Government over the years to improve the security situation of the country while simultaneously addressing crime. He opined that six challenges are likely to drive Guyana’s security priorities, and he listed them as: violent crime, territorial integrity, illicit trafficking of arms and people, transnational organised crimes, terrorism, and cyber security/cyber crime.
“I place at number one violent crime, because notwithstanding the crime statistics that speaks to a reduction in crime, it is my firm belief as a citizen of Guyana that the high incidence of gun-related crimes is today the most pressing problem in the Guyanese society”, Phillips told the gathering of private security firm heads, among other stakeholders.”

Strong signal

The PSC also wants the President, his ministers and all stakeholders to send a strong signal to criminals that crime will no longer be tolerated. “We would like to encourage all stakeholders, including the Government, police, judiciary and civil society to review the sentencing of persons charged with armed and violent robberies, to ensure that these charges are not subject to bail and that they are subject to appropriate sentencing which should be handed down by all magistrates. In this light, we believe a collaborative approach is needed,” the organisation proposed.

Additionally, the PSC said it wants to see President Granger who is also Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces publicly give the orders “for our men and women in uniform to bring some order and control with respect to these criminal gangs and individuals terrorising the Guyanese community.” According to the PSC, while it commends Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan and the Commissioner of Police (ag) David Ramnarine for the recent reduction in serious crime, “our country, nevertheless, remains unprotected from guns flowing across our borders into the hands of violent criminals virtually without restraint. Our country remains with a Police Force which is inadequately staffed, insufficiently trained and underequipped to meet the challenge. Our citizens are traumatised by fear of almost every day having a gun pointed at them with criminal intent. Our businesses, our banks, our tourism industry and our everyday lives are under threat. This is not the good life. It is time that our President intervenes,” PSC declared.

Faulty 911 system
Meanwhile, the PSC railed against the problematic and inoperable 911 system, noting that it is now a national emergency as unreported crimes have escalated. Chairman of the PSC, Edward Boyer, who was joined by members Major-General Norman McLean, Vice-Chairman of the PSC, Desmond Sears, Ramesh Dookoo, Kamal Ramnauth and Capt. Gerry Gouveia said the news conference is about national issues and not about the business community’s interest only. Boyer said there is a national concern of every citizen over the inability of the State to generally protect our citizens from widespread, gun-inspired crime threatening their well-being and safety. “We believe that each and every one of our ordinary citizens feels threatened, regardless of where they happen to be, whether in the street, their workplace or in their homes, are under threat each day from violent gun-related crimes,” the PSC chair noted. “We emphasised, however, that the 911 national emergency call system, essential for a citizen under criminal threat to be able to request a police response, is simply not functioning.”

Boyer said since 2010 the PSC has held meetings with the police, telephone companies and the political directorate, at the highest possible level, in an effort to have this system fixed and functional. “But the commission is appalled that successive governments’ failed to do so.” In fact, the PSC Chairman said the then Ministry of Home Affairs convened a panel of communications specialists to address the problem and a comprehensive report with specific recommendations was submitted to government. However, to date, these recommendations have not been implemented. “The country, therefore, remains without an essential police emergency response system available to its citizens.
Boyer said although there was a reported 16% reduction in serious crime this year compared with last, there are many more unreported crimes that occur daily, adding that criminal access to guns coming into Guyana, mainly from Brazil, has increased. The PSC Chairman said that the Police Force remains understaffed by some 1,000 and more personnel to tackle the rise in criminal activities.
Looking at the bright light at the end of the tunnel, Boyer said the PSC is heartened by the fact that government has been able to secure the Citizen Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP), with funding of just under US$3M, targeting 20 high-crime areas is contributing to the reduction of crime.