Chairman of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), and former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Major General (Rtd) Joe Singh, has indicated that he is willing to put his weight as a former military and security officer behind a thorough analysis of the crime situation in the mining areas and a systematic approach to dealing with the perpetrators. He added: “For me this is a matter of grave concern. The risk to operatives in the sector from attacks by armed bandits has been on a steady increase in recent times. We have to respond. The resolution of this problem cannot be left to chance.” He pledged that the GGMC intends to give full support to a more systematic approach to security of miners from criminal attacks.
“To begin with, we need to have a holistic understanding about what security resources, assets and operations pertain in the various mining districts; the overall and specific nature of the threats of bandit attacks, including how they are unfolding and how they can be  deterred and countered,” he said at a recent meeting of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA).
He made the comments during the interaction with miners, some of whom had indicated their unease about an increase in criminal activities in gold and diamond mining areas in recent months.
Many of the miners felt that the upsurge was due to the high price currently attached to gold, the remoteness of many gold bearing areas, and the thinness of law enforcement agencies on the ground.
Mr. Singh agreed with a recommendation about the induction of miners and other interested persons within the sector as trained supernumerary constables with capabilities for using firearms for escort duties, for establishing resources for collecting intelligence on criminal elements, and making effective use of such information.
The development of electronic communications among such a constabulary with capabilities for immediate contact with the Police and Army as a deterrent, and for quick response, were among others he felt should be useful in helping to reduce and eliminate armed attacks on persons in the mining sector.
He said that he intends to meet with all stakeholders to address this issue in a matter of days.