–during Felix’s tenure as ‘Top Cop’

LEADER of the Opposition, David Granger has disclosed that A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is blaming the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) for the high murder rate during their twenty-two-year long governance, a period during which APNU member Winston Felix was Commissioner of Police. 

Granger was at the time making the statement at APNU’s weekly press conference last Friday at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition.
According to the Opposition Leader, the PPP/C Administration has failed consistently to implement a comprehensive counter-crime strategy. He noted that “The twelve-year Bharrat Jagdeo presidency, most particularly, will be remembered in this country’s history for the extraordinary number of murders which occurred. The trend has continued to rise in the Ramotar presidency,” he said.
Granger noted that APNU re-asserts that it is the PPP/C Administration’s responsibility to protect the population from violent crimes.
He was also supported on this position by APNU Member of Parliament, Winston Felix who said that APNU have been advising the government in parliament that there needs to be reform within the Guyana Police Force. “There have been shortcomings in the police force over this time whether in crime, drugs, or simple interaction with members of the public and the police” Felix said.
However, Felix served as Commissioner of Police for two years between 2004 and 2006 before departing on pre-retirement leave in July 2006. This was a period during the PPP/C Administration for which Felix blames the Government for the high rise in murder and crime rate.
Statistics however reveal that the one hundred and sixty-three murders occurring in 2006, under Felix’s stewardship as Commissioner, is the second highest murder rate between the period 2000 and 2009. The fourth highest period was also the period during which Felix was commissioner – 2005. The statistics are as follows:

Year: 2000    2001    2002    2003    2004    2005    2006    2007    2008    2009
Murders: 133       125      142      206      131      142      163      115      158      117