–for Christmas season

THE police in ‘E’ Division have announced that measures have been put in place to minimise criminal activities, reduce traffic congestion, decrease road accidents and provide a safe and secure environment for residents, visitors and businesses of Linden during the Christmas season.

The Christmas Policing Exercise will be carried out during the period November 15, 2017 and January 15, 2018.
During a presentation, Divisional Commander Fazil Karimbaksh observed that there is usually a spike in social, cultural and economic activities during the Christmas season, which results in an increase of crimes and accidents.

As such, ‘E’ Division will be divided into three sectors which will be commanded by an inspector and adequate ranks. The three sectors are Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie and Wismar.
In Sector One, Amelia’s Ward, Linden, the areas of focus are the entire South and Central Amelia’s Ward where traffic-block spots will be positioned at Moblissa, Linden Highway and Loo Creek, Linden Highway.
Business entities such as Dr. Haynes’s Mall and McRae Variety & Hardware Store will also be covered.

Sector Two, Mackenzie, Linden, areas of focus are the Mackenzie Market Square, Retrieve, Republic Avenue, Co-op Crescent, Greenheart Street and businesses such as Republic Bank and Citizens Bank, among others.
Sector Three Wismar, Linden, areas of focus include the Wismar Market, One Mile, Half Mile, Post Office and Roger Hinds Gas Station.

Checkpoints will be established at Bamia, Tri-Junction and Mabura, which are vital for operations since drugs, guns and ammunition are usually obtained at these points.
There will also be several types of patrols, including anti-crime, which will comprise motorcycles, beat, bicycles and marine patrols.
‘E’ Division will continue with their usual roadblocks, cordon searches, intelligence gathering, profiling of known characters, traffic patrols, monitoring of post offices at Mackenzie, Wismar, Ituni and Kwakwani during the payout of Old Age Pensions, monitoring of key points and vulnerable points, including business places, commercial banks and other financial institutions.

CID patrols will be operating out of Mackenzie, Linden and will be networking with the ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘F’ Divisions.
According to Commander Karimbaksh, there have been 50 reports of serious crimes, seven fatal accidents and eight persons have been charged with possession of firearms and ammunitions so far this year.
So far this year, there has been one murder in ‘E’ Division.

Fifty-seven persons were arrested for trafficking in narcotics, totalling 41 pounds. There were six robberies for the year and all six were solved, resulting in eight persons being prosecuted.
Commander Karimbaksh stated that intelligence-led operations resulted in the recapturing of Kendal Skeet and Uree Varswyck (deceased) who had escaped from the Camp Street Prison.

He also pointed out that stop-and-search exercises were conducted at the Mabura Police checkpoint, resulting in the seizure of 200 grams cocaine, 26.4 kilograms of cannabis, 32 pistols and several rounds of matching ammunition.

Due to drug-eradication exercises at Rockstone, Kwakwani, the Soesdyke-Linden Highway and Coomacka Mines, over 15 acres of cannabis were destroyed and at an average 9130 cans were destroyed.
“Significant achievement that caused the crime rate to reduce is where we increased our anti-crime patrols. If you notice, four additional motorcycle patrols were introduced, so these motorcycles would check the areas that the four-wheel vehicles can’t go,” the commander explained.
He also noted that two additional four-wheel vehicles anti-crime patrols and one traffic car patrol were introduced.

“We will continue to perform our duties professionally to the best of our skills and abilities based on the oath we have taken, so you will see police professionalism once I am in command of this ‘E’ Division,” promised the commander.
Linden’s Regional Chairman Renis Morian commended the management of ‘E’ Division for the work it has done to keep the region safe.