THE SWAT team will increase citizen security and won’t be a political tool. This is according to Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee.
The violence in Guyana is robbery related, like choke-and-rob, as well as home invasions. A SWAT team is useless in such situations if they arrive after the robbery and beatings and/or rapes have taken place.However, how will citizens make contact for timely response, given that when they dial 911, the number is either busy or it rings out; or a police officer tells you he/she is alone; or that the police don’t have a vehicle to get there.
Citizens are crying out to get rid of rogue police, rogue army ranks, and the rogues hired to work in Government-run institutions.
Give this SWAT team less than one year, and citizens will know it is a waste of taxpayers’ dollars, since it is more than likely these SWATTERS will be hauled in and placed on the underworld payroll.
Given past experiences, citizens foresee that this SWAT team, too, will be crying the infamous opposition litany, “Awe pay too low, so awe gat fi teef”.
I say to anyone, if your pay is too low, then don’t take the job; or leave the job and get qualified for a high-paying job; or open your own business and stop crying about low wages.
However, a professional SWAT team is imperative, with statistics which show that at the end of January 2014, robbery under arms overall rose by 44%, with 105 reports, compared to 73 for the same period in 2013.
The statistics show an increase of 50% in the number of armed robberies involving the use of firearms; and a 30% rise in armed robberies, where instruments other than firearms were used by the perpetrators.
Here, I urge Minister Rohee to do a simple check to find out which ethnic group is committing robberies under arms, and which ethnic group is mostly being robbed with guns placed to the heads of their loved ones. And how many robberies are taking place, but are not being reported, out of fear that these robbers have their victims’ IDs.
Incompetent officials who are as helpless as the victims should resign or be booted out. This level of crime does not bother Speaker Trotman, who is more concerned about beautifiction and the vagrants outside of the Public Building while he sits in his plushy, air-conditioned office, enjoying his many perks at the taxpayers expense.
Taxpayers must ask Trotman and his colleagues how many hard working class Guyanese can afford the high cost of electricity to run an air-conditioner just to get a good night’s sleep, which he and Lindeners are enjoying free, at the expense of the highly-taxed citizens.
Imagine politicians are taking advantage of taxpayers and boasting about it.
Writteb By T. KING