CRIME Chief Leslie James has said that in view of the ever changing approach to crime by criminal elements here, he intends to explore newer methods of addressing the issue “since we live in a developing society and the tactics of criminals are also changing.”

He also made the point that the criminals of today are not just savvy and hi-tech, the latter in terms of their preference in equipment, but their approach is also methodical, as the types of crimes being committed by these individuals display a certain element of precision.

ALERTNESS
James added that this trend would show that persons are meeting and planning and so the citizenry must be conscious of their surroundings at all times to exercise a sense of alertness.

He also urged the business community to outfit their businesses with the requisite security as a form of protection.

The Crime Chief said that if one invests in a $5M business, for instance, it is in one’s interest to be security conscious enough to safeguard that business place by way of surveillance cameras, security guards and to utilise security services to do banking, etc.

He pointed out, however, that some businesses use their own staff to do their money deposits which include large sums and it becomes a habit. They then get robbed because person (s) follow the paper trail and there is also collusion.

PLASTIC
He advised adopting proper security measures so the business and staff are protected. In this regard he urged that persons use ‘plastic’ via electronic transactions to deter the possibility of armed robberies in money transactions and banking.

MOUNTED AND CANINE BRANCHES
When asked why the Canine and Mounted Branches of the Guyana Police Force are seemingly under-utilised, the Crime Chief said that they are utilised in many instances.

He added that there is a need for those sections to be incorporated but they are not totally under-utilised because the Mounted Branch has patrols in the city and when the need arises they are deployed for unruly crowd control.

James noted that similarly, the Canine Section has a presence at the airports, including the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and Ogle International Airport.

The Mounted and Canine Branches of the GPF are also featured in the annual Police Gymkhana, which attracts a large gathering of civilians.
The trained dogs and horses perform various skills at the behest of ranks, providing a very entertaining feature.

(By Michel Outridge)