THE saying ‘when it rains it pours’ seemed to have confronted the security sector last week with the occurrence of two dramatic events in downtown Georgetown that had the citizenry on the edge.
First, it was a daring attempted robbery of Republic Bank’s Water Street branch by three educated youths, one of whom was an employee of the bank; second, the burning down of the Camp Street Prison by inmates there.
Regarding the first incident, it was not the first time that bandits tried to lay siege on a bank here, which on every occasion, captivated the public’s attention.
But from what obtained previously, most of the persons involved belong to a known gang or are known robbers. Last Tuesday’s incident was quite unique in the sense of the type of persons involved—educated young men.
Of course, there were a few incidents were educated young men here were involved in armed robberies and shootouts with the police, but these cases are few and afar.
In most cases, crooks with advanced formal education tend to engage in white collar crimes that involve fraud, embezzlement and related acts. Armed robberies of banks here by these persons are unheard of; so too is gainfully employed youths embarking on such dangerous schemes.
It was for this very reason that the suspected robbers, notably Elton Wray, an agronomist trained in China on a Guyana scholarship and who was killed, received so much attention, both in the mainstream media and social media.
From what has happened, the question was repeatedly asked, ‘why would educated people arm themselves with firearms and try to rob a bank, of all places, in Guyana?’
Many in answering the question, say that the attempted robbery was an act of greed, with some contending that society over the past two decades has deteriorated to the extent that it has created an environment for such activities.
None of these two contentions can be discounted but the discourse seem more at laying blame rather than offering concrete solutions to a serious problem.
Greed is a cancer that is difficult to cure when developed and greater attention is needed very early to dissuade young people from becoming the Elton Wrays, Jamal Haynes and Keron Saunders in society.
This is an issue that should be dominating the discourse, and from all indications, it can only be overcome through cultural change, starting in homes and through indoctrination of positive values in the education system.
Our education system seemed to be heavily centred on academics and passing examinations with less emphasis on building and promoting strong value systems.
It goes without saying that an education without strong values could lead to the likes of the three suspected bank robbers, or those who engage in white collar crimes.
Failure to meaningfully propagate a culture of honesty, integrity and hardwork would result in many of our young turning to self-destructive pursuits in the prime of the lives, which is a detriment to their families and society.
Sociologist Patricia Shreerattan-Bisnauth hit the hammer on its head when she told this publication that youth molded in values and ethics will be less motivated to involve themselves in a life of crime.
Crime knows no race, religion or political persuasion; it is a setback to society and a strain on government to advance its developmental agenda.
It is unfortunate that before the dust from the bank robbery could have settled, the Camp Street debacle emerged, claiming the life of a diligent serviceman and resulting in injuries to a number of others.
It is a situation no government would want to encounter but the law enforcement officers must be commended for bringing the situation under control.