Dear Editor,

THE sight of six middle-aged men on a daily basis, from around mid-morning, converging underneath the Demico establishment western canopy in the city, as they seek to fleece unsuspecting passersby of their hard-earned money is very disturbing.

These guys who operate the three-card game were initially just two persons, but recently it has been observed that the group has expanded and from observations their primary target appears to be the hapless Amerindians who come into the city to conduct business.
The troubling thing is that these operate without fear because they conduct their nefarious business in full view of members of the city constabulary whose only job seems to be that of harassing the vendors, members of the Guyan Police Force Traffic Department and even Demico’s private security.
And, whenever they are not operating on the walkway under the canopy, they can be seen either outside of the Stabroek Market in front of the Digicel booth or the Muneshwar sidewalk by the Mon Repos bus park.

The fleecing of innocent people and who knows whatever else business they conduct,has got to be very lucrative when you take into consideration that the group is getting bigger. I cannot for the life of me, fathom how a group of grown men who most likely have families to maintain, can on a daily basis, spend hours operating a three-card game stand as if is an established business company headquarters.

Also, something needs to be done with the number of men who can be seen daily at three of the four entrances to the Stabroek Market, pestering persons going into the facility to conduct their own business by asking if they are buying or selling gold.
If you have friends who have businesses in the market they will tell you that that are is a haven for pick pockets and snatchers and a host of other illegal operations are done there.
Is it that members of City Constabulary no longer bother to have them removed and whatever they are doing has now been deemed legal? The same city police, those wearing white shirtjacs, can be seen at times on duty just where these guys are and inhaling the pungent smell of marijuana.

Editor, Guyana is seeking desperately to build its tourism industry and very soon we will be opening our state-of-the-art international airport. The tourists will begin to flood here in their number and we just cannot afford to have undesirables thwarting our development.
I therefore appeal to the Crime Chief Mr. Paul Williams,who has been doing an excellent job so far,to focus some of his attention in those areas, as the members of the City Constabulary no longer seem interested or have become too friendly with those who are hell bent on carrying on their illegal trade.

Also, it is my fervent hope that the authorities at Demico will do something about this disgusting behaviour outside their place of business.

Regards
Concerned citizen
(Name withheld)