By Jomo Paul
[www.inewsguyana.com] – A relatively safe neighborhood, Festival City, has now become a haven for daylight and night robberies with crime increasing in the community and its environs at an alarming rate over the past weeks.
Residents in the community for the past weeks have been held hostage by armed men who prowl the community in the late hours of the night into the morning.
Just recently, a family was attacked as they were returning home from a night out in the city. That family was robbed and beaten by a group of five men, who managed to escape with little over $10,000.
Subsequent to that, the situation according to one resident worsened as there were several more instances of crimes in the community.
Over the past three weeks, more than four young women have been reportedly raped while heading home at nights. These acts are reportedly committed by a group of young men.
At the weekend, a woman was robbed, a senior citizen beaten as bandits pounced on the home of a popular businessman in the community after a party was held at his residence.
Reports indicate that on some nights, groups of men can be seen riding through the community on bicycles just after 2:00AM. Residents claim that these same men are responsible for several of the robberies committed.
One resident who spoke to iNews, Tracey Bailey said that the situation in Festival City is “very scary.”
“It’s very scary. How are you going to feel about it? They could attack anybody at anytime whether you going out or you coming in or you’re sleeping and see somebody over you. It’s very scary,” said the woman who operates a business in the community.
Another resident explained to iNews that with the recent spike in crime, efforts should be made to establish a community policing group for the area since there is only so much that the police can do.
“I feel like we need a neighbourhood watch because police are not responding to what has been going on in this area…The crimes are happening from the day to the night to the wee hours of the morning,” said Meleesa Payne, a former Miss Guyana.
The pageant queen is of the opinion that while the police are doing what they can, they need more resources.
“Police do their jobs but some people are scared to talk, they do enough when they can…When you call the police station and you hear that they don’t have a vehicle…well that’s for a higher authority,” she stated.
Recent crime statistics released by the Guyana Police Force have shown that at the end of August 2015 robbery under arms overall has increased by 3% in comparison to the same period in 2014.
The statistics indicate an increase of 4% in the number of armed robberies involving the use of firearms; while the number of armed robberies where instruments other than firearms were used by the perpetrators is similar.
Meanwhile, there has been an increase of 65% in the number of reports of rape with 271 reports at the end of August this year compared to 164 for the same period last year. Break and Enter and Larceny and Burglary have shown an overall increase of 13%.
Gov need to improve security ..place more camera in and around gt not 100 as was announce by the incompetent guy.. Need more patrols . need to get the CpG in every village going and being efficient .. Need more direct communication within the system .. Make a max facility to house the big criminals .. Move them from camp and bring the lesser offence guys and short terms guys to camp ..instead of having tax payers who are already being under paid except for the big ones .. Paying for these guys stuff .. Everything are paid for by tax payers … Let them work .. Chain in groups waist or foot .. And let them clean gt and pay them 200 per day .. So the got lil funds when the get out and give them at lease 6 hours per day for 6 days in the sun .. Garbage .. Weeding .. Cleaning gutters .. Small allies etc.. Some of them would not be happy to go their .. When some or these guys get free .. I quote .. From them .. “” I am out on holidays will be going back soon .. Out here I ga wuk fo lil food .. In dea I get everything up to date . even me drugs . “””. These guys happy .. Because d sun na burn dem back .. Everything up to date ..like kings .. U make accident banned for life .. Tonight about 8pm had a serious accident west end of demerara bridge .. And the driver was drunk I heard .. Jail him ban him let he pay for damage etc .. But yet again dem look rich .. Paper gon pass and da gon wash away ..
Forgive them NOYB,they only know the route to Freedom house,not many of them know that criminals come from EAST COAST and villages on the WBD. Narrow minded and negative,,criminals roam out of their home area so as not to be recognized.
I’ve been living in festival city for 27 years and every single time we catch some one breaking a home etc that person is never from the area , they come from as far as east ruimveldt or even over the river. so please get the facts correct . we have bridges that connects Guyhoc and Spohia which most of the young criminals would come from. not to worry tho if the police dont want to react we will continue to kill them when we catch them….END OF STORY
Thank you for clarifying that last point brother our society has always been a place where crime is screaming for kingship. What about the big time drug dealers now being caught in Guyana and America one never hear the detractors addressing their crime. It does not make their acts lesser crimes. Of course this area needs law enforcement assistance but communities and citizens must play their part as well. Complaining is one thing but what about sharing information with the police. Forming neighborhood policing groups. The police cannot do it all. Citizens cannot afford to stand on the sideline using the crutch of if it does not affect me it is not my business it will be sooner or later directly or indirectly.
Apnu/ AFC .. Supporters are disappointed and need help ..the change the ask for is not to go back ward gear .. Gess that the only gear u guys know
A relatively safe neighborhood, Festival City, has now become a haven for daylight and night robberies with crime increasing in the community and its environs at an alarming rate over the past weeks.Really Festival City a relatively safe neighborhood? Must be safe for those who lived there but from day one that place was built you never go there if you are a stranger you bound to be robbed. The chickens are now roosting and feasting on their own since they have lots now. It’s like some people are saying Guyana has become a violent country. Hell no Guyana was always a violent country from the day the colonial masters left. Check the records.