THE Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha has expressed concern about criminal activity in the country and wants the government to take swift action to arrest the current situation. The Sabha wants to see strong, comprehensive and urgent action to protect citizens.
“The protection and security offered to citizens is ineffective and unsatisfactory,” the Sabha said in a statement.
According to the organisation, there needs to be more police patrols, faster police responses to calls reporting crime, more police presence in crime-ridden areas through police outposts or huts with alert and well trained ranks.
“Police outposts should be functional and equipped with the resources to offer protection to communities.
“There is need for working emergency numbers and working telephones at police stations, as well as vehicles to get police to areas of crime.
“With the high crime rate, civil society and other stakeholders need to be advised of safety measures and [be] involved to come up with strategies to protect themselves and increase safety in communities,” the Sabha stated.
The Sabha contended that persons are being “violated, murdered, robbed and harassed across the country by thieves and bandits and very little has been done to stem this tide.
“Young persons, the elderly, women and children have not been spared; and more lives continue to be lost in these senseless killings and brutal acts of violence.”
The organisation noted that some crimes are unreported because of the loss of faith in the system, claiming that citizens are terrified and afraid to leave their homes.