GUYANA needs a world-class city, where residents and visitors feel safe, secured and able to enjoy the full beauty of this country. However, petty street crimes in Georgetown threaten the good work that the Guyana Government has accomplished in elevating the image of Guyana on the world stage. Outgoing Canadian High Commissioner Lilian Chatterjee lauded the Government for repairing Guyana’s global image, restoring the country’s reputation as a thriving democracy. But all too often, media reports assail Guyanese and the world with street crimes in the city. Tragic news of senseless robberies, and cruel crimes on the streets of the capital city cannot be a good thing, as that generates a sense among citizens and potential visitors, including tourists and business investors, of Guyana being an unsafe destination. Government would therefore do well to establish a Cabinet emergency task force to curb all crimes on the streets of the city and towns, because the street-crime situation paints such a horrible picture of this country.

The nation cannot accept this ongoing level of crimes on the streets, especially around the Stabroek Market entrance. News earlier this week that bandits trailed and attacked motorcyclist Peter Gonsalves, a senior citizen, as he was riding his motorcycle in the city, and shot him several times, killing him on the spot, while robbing him of his motorcycle, leaves a terrible feeling in the stomach of citizens. With the Christmas season upon the nation, based on past experience, city residents have learned to exercise extreme caution while going about their shopping and business in their own city. In fact, many petty crimes go unreported, as victims feel their efforts is a waste of time and energy. People have learned to take extreme precaution when traversing the city streets, and citizens do not even wear jewellery or flashy accessories to walk around the city, for fear of armed robbers.

Government has embarked on an ambitious project to beautify the city, with First Lady Arya Ali dedicating her energies to this task. After the makeover of the seawall, would there be a programme to ensure the area remains safe and secure, day and night? Once Guyana again enjoys the fun of being a Garden City, it is only natural that the streets should be made safe, secure and sound. The Mayor and City Council seems to lack what it takes to keep the streets safe and sound. The Police Force, over the years, could not curb street crimes. It is imperative, therefore, for Government to step in with an emergency programme to safeguard the streets.

One of the major problems is the extreme poverty of areas such as Albouystown, Tiger Bay, pockets of Charlestown, and Werk-en-Rust. James Street, Leopold Street, Lombard and High Streets, are feeder grounds for dysfunctional youth and drug addicts and uneducated outcasts of society to prey on citizens in the city. Reports even indicate that robbers travel to Georgetown from poverty-stricken villages and inner-city wards of places like Linden and New Amsterdam.

As Guyana develops its socioeconomic foundation, one side-benefit would be a reduction of poverty in these inner-city pockets, with less street crimes. But the country cannot rely on economic upliftment alone to solve the problem; this problem has been going on for far too long, and may trace its roots to the kick-down-the-door bandits that existed in the 1980s. The years of economic degradation under the People’s National Congress pre-1992 devastated many inner-city areas, causing excruciating socioeconomic decline. Generations suffered the consequences.
The current Government is making it a strong State policy to reach across all divides and develop every corner of the country. This is laudable, and will bear fruit with safer streets in the long-term. However, Guyana needs an immediate emergency solution to curb street crimes, especially in high-density areas of the city, particularly around the Stabroek Market, and on Regent and Robb and Camp Streets.

So serious and critical is the situation, that the United States Department of Trade issued the following warning for 2019 and 2020:
“There is serious risk from crime in Georgetown. The general crime rate in Guyana is above the U.S. national average. Serious crimes (e.g. murder, armed robbery) are common. The most recent information from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime lists Guyana’s 2016 homicide rate as 18.37 per 100,000 people; the fourth highest murder rate in South America behind Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil. Guyana’s murder rate is four times higher than that of the U.S. As of August 2018, local media reports indicated a 7% decrease in overall serious crimes, but a 23% increase in robberies without a weapon.

Criminals regularly use weapons, despite a rigorous licensing requirement to own firearms. Handguns, knives, machetes, or cutlasses tend to be the weapons of choice. Criminals may act brazenly, and police officers have been both victims and perpetrators of assaults and shootings. Criminals are increasingly willing to resort to violence while committing all types of crimes. If confronted by an armed criminal, do not argue or attempt to confront him/her. Criminals are often organised, travel in groups of two or more, and conduct surveillance on their victims. Criminals generally will not hesitate to show multiple weapons as an intimidation tactic during a robbery. Quickly relinquish your valuables and do not resist, unless you believe your life is in imminent danger.

Armed robberies including carjacking occur regularly, especially in businesses and shopping districts. Armed robberies of business/patron establishments occur frequently in Georgetown.”
This is unacceptable for Guyana, as the Government opens up investment opportunities to the world. Making the capital city safe and sound and secure is an absolute imperative, if Guyana is to achieve Government’s goal of becoming a global success story. That will take strong, decisive, direct action from the highest levels of Government, to curb street crimes and secure every corner of Georgetown as a safe zone. People should be able to walk and use the streets of Georgetown, New Amsterdam, and Linden, and other towns day or night, knowing that they are in a world-class city that secures their freedom to enjoy Guyana’s blessings.