Top Cop says…
– but seizures leading to reduction in gun crimes
COMMISSIONER of Police Henry Greene said guns are being hired in Guyana for the commission of gun-related crimes. But he said seizures have resulted in a reduction in gun crimes over recent months. Speaking at a news conference held at Police Headquarters yesterday, Greene – who was accompanied by Divisional Commanders of the various Police divisions, said: “We are still of the view that firearms are being rented. There are a few firearms in the systems that are being rented. We are still of the view that persons may be sneaking some firearms into the system.
“But the general trend and the general seizures…suggest that there are not that many firearms around. And we have evidence that persons have been renting firearms from others…evidence from what they have said, evidence of what we have found. We actually found people with a bag carrying back the firearms or going back to give people firearms that they have rented,” the Police Commissioner disclosed.
He said that while one could never be accurate or firm in matters such as these, if one were to look at the statistics, they tell a story about seizures and about the reduction of incidents of robbery under arms over the last couple of months.
The Commissioner said there seems to have been some hype in criminal activities over the last month or so.
“I want to say, however that we have remained postured. In Georgetown we have special anti-crime patrols by day and by night, no less than 12 of those patrols combined with motorcycle patrols in and around Georgetown and on the East Bank and to a limited extent on the East Coast,” he said.
He noted that the East Coast itself does have its own anti-crime patrols and also has other patrols that are linked to it, noting that West Coast of Demerara and Berbice have their anti-crime patrols.
He said the force is spread out in Essequibo and in Bartica with the Tactical Services Unit patrols. He said that from time to time “we go to Linden and support the men who work in Linden.”
“So we have not changed our posture in terms of how we are spread out, how we respond and in terms of our training. Our training is ongoing currently. We are training other ranks at the stations to be equipped to deal with any serious situation that may arise or occur, even though they are not members of the anti-crime unit,” he said.
Greene said there is a special firearms unit operating out of the Criminal Investigations Department Unit. He said it is a unit that persons will not hear a lot about but which does much work behind the scenes in terms of firearms. (Johann Earle)