CASH and cell phones are the preferred property stolen in armed robberies within recent months in several East Coast Demerara (ECD) villages.The victims have been unsuspecting residents traversing the streets in places where they live, and the robbers appear to have had a precise schedule of the movements of targeted people.
The crimes are usually committed by young men who move about in pairs on motorcycles and bicycles, and who then lay in wait of persons on their way home from work as early as 19:00 hrs.
In one instance, a young woman, who was walking home after disembarking a minibus, was accosted by two knife-wielding cyclists who relieved her of a handbag containing her salary.
When she resisted her attackers, she was stabbed several times; her boyfriend also was assaulted. The robbers told the couple not to put up a fight but just hand over everything.
At the nearby Police station where they went to make a report, the ranks on duty sent them away, concluding that they were drunk and had a fight, and should return the next day, as ranks could do nothing at that time.
Been insulted
With that experience, the young woman said she was not going back to the police since she had been insulted.
She now utilises the services of taxis in the evenings from the public road to her residence, costing her an additional $200 per drop.

There have been several more incidents where residents from Non Pareil, Enterprise, Coldingen, Vryheid’s Lust, Better Hope and Melanie Damishana, all on the East Coast of Demerara, who are also being targeted by bandits.
Commander of Police ‘C’ Division, Assistant Commissioner Christopher Griffith, told the Guyana Chronicle yesterday, that, in all robberies, the persons robbed are encouraged to make reports to the nearest station.
He said the complaints should be filed because, with that information, the police would be aware of the problem areas and be able to dispatch the necessary patrols to deal with occurrences.
The senior police officer added that people should feel safe to walk home from work, and that there are roving patrols in most or almost all communities.
He encouraged citizens to call the Vigilance Police Station on telephone numbers 274-1221, 274-0409, 274 0817 or Cove and John Police Station on 229-2700 to report robberies so the Police can act accordingly.
by Michel Outridge