DRAWN by your love for roots and where your ‘navel string bury’, you return to Guyana whether in Berbice, Essequibo or Demerara to the sunshine, love and warm embrace of your blood bonds. With this sense of euphoria you gather your friends and family, have a few drinks and settle down to a beautiful sleep full of contentment. In the dead of the night all this is shattered by the shrill screams of morbid fear and gunshots! You are dazed! Confused! Fear saturates the inner cordons of your mind. Your eyes focused in the dark and you realise you have never been so helpless in your life. The nightmare begins to unfold! But little do you realise in a vast number of cases it began even before you arrived in Guyana.
We love to talk, boast, feel great about our ‘famly’ coming! Even before they arrive the entire village is aware of how many ‘famly’ coming, the purpose of the visit –renovate or build a house, help buy a car, set up a business, bringing money for the wedding, funeral, getting married, etc – which flight they will be coming with, the day or night and how many minibuses or vehicles will be going for them and who will be driving!
In security, there is something called the “Need [to] know policy”. As far as possible and given the nature of the occasion of the visit, only those who need to know should know. No one else! And even then only what is necessary for them to know should be revealed. Unwittingly, we give out just the right kind of information that the wrong kind of people would like to have. So they begin to plan robbing you and your family based on the information you have unwittingly given!
Think about sending monies prior to your arrival. In this way expenditures for whatever purpose brings you to Guyana can be done before you arrive. Your relatives will not be stuck with large sums of money in their hand awaiting your arrival and you would not have to bring a lot of cash (may cost a bit more, but it’s better not to be penny wise and pound foolish). As soon as practicable, dispense with all monies you may have brought for others. Do not procrastinate.
You arrive at the airport, clear immigration, sort out your bags, clear Customs and seek assistance from the Red Cap. You do not need to tell the Red Cap where you are going, who is coming or not to pick you up, where you are living or the purpose of your visit! That is your business. Watch if you are being pressured into going with a particular taxi. It is your choice to travel with whoever you choose. Remember that. The decision is yours only!
Always use the legitimate Airport Taxi Service. If for whatever reason you cannot do so and you have to use any of the ‘hustlers’ around, politely ask to be shown some kind of identification that has a photograph, name and address among other things – preferably National ID or drivers’ licence. Once you are satisfied, call your home. Give them the information including the type, colour and registration number of the vehicle and your estimated time of arrival.
You may not want to give the driver the exact, but the appropriate address like maybe a street or two away from your intended destination. As you approach that area, make your change. (This is a method used by carjackers to lure unsuspecting taxi drivers to lonely areas where they are robbed. You are just using their tactics to fight them). Be aware of their usage of cell phone along the way and follow your gut feeling.
Depending on the time of the day or night, you may want to ask your relatives to be on the lookout for your arrival not inside the house but in close proximity to where you intend to exit the vehicle. In numbers there is strength. Their presence may discourage any attempt at robbing you or they may be able to alert you of any suspicious vehicle lurking anywhere nearby.
There is no harm in informing the police as soon as possible of your arrival. Do not do this over the phone and do not contact just any policeman or woman. Make an arrangement and meet the Divisional Commander. Failing this, his deputy or any other officer will do. Meet face to face. Inform them of your main address and duration of stay. Depending on the purpose of your visit, seek security assistance. Within their possibilities, Divisional Commanders will always seek to be of assistance to the public. I know what some of you are screaming in our minds right now! But those are more, many more exceptions than the rule. Remember, in everything that you do, the police are not your enemy.
Going to the bank to withdraw money and then do purchase? Avoid this like the plague! Look back. This is how many persons were robbed. They are trailed either by bikers or bandits in vehicles. As soon as they disembark their car, they are held up or bag with money is snatched? See the pattern? Do the opposite. The ideal is purchase first and then do withdrawal. You have choices. Draw your money, go straight home and purchase the next day or have some sort of security with you, if you must purchase the same day. Other option is, identify the costly item to be purchased and the store. Discuss with the Manager on the acceptability of a manager’s cheque. If acceptable, withdraw same to the amount and make purchase. Never leave your money in your car and go to the restaurant or any joint to buy food, etc. I can’t imagine people making such idiotic and dangerous decisions.
For those of you, who can and have, use your ‘plastics’. There are a number of business houses that accept VISA or other forms of ‘plastic money’ in Guyana. Do not keep or walk around with wads of cash. Obviously, you would not want to walk ‘brokes’. That does not mean however, you’ll convert yourself to a walking ATM. Walk only with what would suffice for the particular business at hand.
Always inform someone of your whereabouts. When partying in the wee hours of the night, liming at beer gardens, visiting, etc, you do not need huge gold chains around your neck or fingers all decked out with numerous gold rings. You do not do that in the Big Apple. Why do it here? Stick with your group: do not be caught by the ‘honey trap’ that takes you away from the crowd!
Leave together as a group, never alone. Have a designated driver. Or make arrangements to be picked up before going to party. If you have to get a taxi, as far as possible, avoid using any around the party place. Ask management for help. They will guide you in getting a taxi or arrange for one. Again, trust your instincts. Your thinking will be impaired.
Do not take chances. Do not stand out of the crowd. The Japanese have a saying, “it is the nail that stands out that will first be hammered.’ Remember, these petty bandits are always on the lookout for easy prey. They can be very dangerous – more than the older and more experienced ones who would not readily resort to violence. It is something that comes with youth, gross ignorance and the socialisation process both at home and in their criminal world. They will use disproportionate and unnecessary violence to achieve their criminal objectives. Sickening but true! Unfortunately, it is the kind of mentality the police are faced with, and are forced to respond to almost every day. Not an easy task when your life is on the line, knowing you have the power to stop them dead in their tracks – when they are armed and confronted.
These are basic, commonsense approaches to our personal security that may necessitate some level of change in the way we, as law-abiding, hard-working citizens, are socialised to do things. That is the hardest step. But it may save your life. Have a wonderful time in this your beautiful Guyana. Thank you Mr Editor. I sincerely appreciate your selfless assistance in bringing this kind of security awareness to our fellow Guyanese.