NO new crime wave has hit the country but rather there is a continuation of what started following the 2002 jail break that saw the likes of Dale Moore, Andrew Douglas, Shawn Browne and Troy Dick escaping from prison.President David Granger on Friday during the broadcast of the Ministry of the Presidency’s “The Public Interest” programme dispelled thoughts that the crime situation in Guyana is out of control. “I don’t think the crime situation is out of control,” said the President. “I don’t think we are in the grip of another crime wave; it is a continuing crime wave that started to develop around 2001-2002.”
An assessment of the current crime statistics, the President said will illustrate that the statistics provided by the Guyana Police Force are no better than 2001-2002 “when we had people like fine man alive.”
The Police Force, Granger says must be reformed, empowered and enabled to provide service to the nation more efficiently. He said the former People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration made a great error when it cancelled the Security Sector Reform Action Plan initiated by the United Kingdom.
Granger said he met with the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister (PM) David Cameron recently and told him of the need to “restore the Security Sector Action Plan.” “Crime will continue to be a problem unless the police force is reformed,” he stressed, noting that there is a need for better equipment, and the force needs to be brought up to strength. The President revealed that the Police Force is 20 per cent under strength. “We are not trying to get it over strength…my information is that the Police Force is 20 per cent under strength.”
The Police Force, the President added needs to be deployed into areas where serious crimes occur. He gave the example of the hinterland region. “I’d like the public to know that the Commander ‘F’ Division (Senior Superintendent Ravindradat Budhram) is now based at Bartica. We intend to give him boats, aircraft to do his work properly.”
The President is optimistic that Guyana would become safer in the future. “So we expect that in the fullness of time the country would be safer. We need a police force that could prevent gun running, people trafficking; a police force that is out there and actively enforcing the law,” Granger added assuring that he is “not particularly worried.”
The crime situation he stressed “will not get better unless the police force gets better.” As a result, a National Security Committee (NSC) has been established to work towards boosting both the Guyana Police Force and Guyana Defence Force (GDF). That committee meets every week to devise ways and means of ensuring the crime situation does not get out of control. It comprises President David Granger, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan, Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud, Chief of Staff Mark Philips and Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General Basil Williams. “I think some of the measures you have seen, like the gun amnesty, will eventually work. So, we are working on it, we are not ignoring crime,” Granger assured. The President added that “it is the Police Force under the Police Act which has the responsibility for maintaining law and order.” The Defence Force is merely a back-up to the police force he said. Nevertheless, the two forces will continue to work collaboratively to ensure that citizens are safe.