C-Pets successful in reducing crime in ‘D’ Division- Commander Amsterdam

By Leroy Smith

[www.inewsguyana.com] – The Police ‘D’ Division (West Coast Demerara, West Bank Demerara and East Bank Essequibo)  has reportedly recorded a reduction in criminal activities since the launch of C-Pets (Creating Positive Environments through Safer communities), almost three months ago.

Crime in the division is said to at an all-time low. C-Pets is a community based oriented project where the police are working with social, religious and other groups to engage the citizenry.

According to ‘D’ Division Commander, Senior Superintended Ian Amsterdam, the public has been responding fairly to the programme. He said all communities on the West Coast and West Bank of Demerara have recorded lower crime rates.

The commander told iNews that there has been a 76% reduction in crime as it relates to serious offences compared to last year. He added that for the month of August, seven serious crimes were recorded in the entire division.

Amsterdam said that in terms of Parfaite Harmony there has been no serious crime reported between July-September.

Last month the police in the division carried out a three days which addressed issues of traffic, serious crimes and other offences. Ranks were involved in stop and search operations, raids and paid special attention to speeding and driving under the influence.

There were some 75 tickets which were issued for speeding while 15 were issued for driving under the influence and overloading 27. There were other cases made the police commander told this newspaper but according to him those mentioned were the high flyers with respect to offences.

For the month of August the division recorded four fatal accidents and according to Amsterdam, the police after the three days operation were able to reduce that figure.

In August the police in “D” Division reported 40 cases of driving under the influence. For that month also, the police conducted thirteen raids, seven road blocks and during those exercises seventeen persons were arrested while seven were found with narcotics, the exercises were carried out by the police with their ranks on bicycles, foot and patrols.

Warrants were also executed and during the August period several policing activities including engaging the communities in a softer approach were also conducted and which contributed to less report of crimes as those were not being committed.