– ‘It only exists in the heads of APNU Leaders and is nothing but a figment of their imagination’, he says

HOME Affairs Minister, Mr Clement Rohee has rejected the assertion by the main Opposition political party, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), that there is security crisis in Guyana.

In a statement last night, Minister Rohee said: “If there is a ‘security crisis’ in Guyana, it exists only in the heads of APNU Leaders and is nothing but a figment of their imagination. Indeed, it appears to be a mere ploy for propaganda purposes to make the Government look bad.”
The Home Affairs Minister was responding to an APNU statement which was released on January 3 stating that the “Security crisis in Guyana has disproportionately hurt the poor.”
But Rohee last night made it clear that “there is no security crisis in Guyana” while noting that good examples where real security crisis currently exists are in countries like Turkey, Iraq, South Sudan and Syria.
Rohee pointed out that Guyana’s Crime and Security situation is a far cry from the conditions obtaining in those countries.
Further, Minister Rohee rejects the characterisation of the internal security situation as false on the ground that current data does not support it.
The evidence shows that rather than poor families in homes, the primary victims of robberies committed in 2013 were young individuals, primarily males, walking in the streets, especially late in the nights and during the early hours of the mornings. For example, of the 122 occurrences of “street crimes” (robberies and larcenies from the person) committed in ‘A’ Division for November 2013, 81 of the 140 victims were young people (ages 18 to 35) 94 are males. Of the 122 “street crimes” 56 occurred during the period 21:15 hrs to 06:00 hrs.
Moreover, the primary valuables of which persons were robbed on the street were smart-cell phones (for example, Black-berries and Samsung galaxies), cash and jewellery. For instance, of the 122 occurrences of “street crimes”, for the entire year mentioned above, smart-cell phones were associated with 38. Noteworthy, individuals were robbed of at least one of the forgoing valuables. It is strongly suggestive, therefore, that such persons’ incomes must have been of such sum so as to at least render them capable of affording the purchase and upkeep of a smart-cell phone that range from Gy$35,000 to Gy$90,000 (Black-berries), and Gy$90,000 to Gy$135,000 (Samsung galaxies).