[www.inewsguyana.com] – The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has not taken too kindly the suggestion by former President, Donald Ramotar for the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to join the Police Force in its fight against “spiraling crime.”
The GPF in a statement issued on November 18 reiterated that crime is not out of control in Guyana, basing this on recent statistics. Ramotar made the call for the Army to join in the crime fight, following the brazen robbery of Assistant Commissioner of Police, Leslie James.
“It is unfortunate that the press statement gave the impression that in view of the recent armed robbery committed on an Assistant Commissioner of Police, that any citizen should feel vulnerable. Our view is that such a statement is mistaken and does not fit into the context,” the GPF noted.
The Force is reminding citizens that under the Constitution they have a fundamental right to defend themselves and property. The statement further noted that serious crimes statistics indicate that there has been an 8% increase for the period January 01, 2015, to October 31, 2015, when compared to the same period in 2014; and for the same period in 2013, an increase of 0.2%.
“Notwithstanding the 8% increase this year, the significant efforts of the police regarding the arrest and prosecution of several high profile groups of criminals and the use of intelligence and investigative skills which led to the solving of a number of serious crimes, including murders and armed robberies dating back to 2013, were highlighted in the recent presentation by the Head CID.”
The Force reiterated that inrecent instances when the GDF was called out in support of the Police, it was with the aim of giving assurance to the members of the public and confidence boosting, and not because the police was overwhelmed by the crime situation.
“Of particular note is that the most recent deployment of the GDF in support of the GPF was during March and April this year, prior to the last General and Regional Elections which is historically a period punctuated with high tension and general unease in the public domain. The deployment for that period, which was a joint Army/Police initiative, served its purpose,” the GPF statement noted.
you are a fool to want the army to come out and be of assistance. you need to research and learn the difference between what the army is trained to do and what the police is trained to do. if it was so easy to deploy the army to do the work of the police, why on earth every country with a military also have a police force and wouldn’t it have been easier for all those countries with a military to just have a military alone doing the work of the police as well?
Our police force is waiting to see the bandits run the Government. The chief cop is robbed and every day bandits rob, terrorize, kill innocent civilians including the police ranks. Yes the crime situation is not out of control because you don’t know what is happening in Guyana.
The GPF is not nearly pro active enough in preventing serious crime and are poor in their reactive mode, with all the usual excuses surfacing again.Very junior and in many cases, incapable of dealing with emergency calls personel, answering phones at stations, telling the public no personel and /or vehicles are available to respond and then not making any effort to reach an nco or officer, for them to deal with the matter Until these glaring and repetitive faults are corrected on a permanent basis, President Ramotar is correct, in saying, that the army should be brought in to help patrol, as they have the personnel and equipment, to put many more boots on the ground, which is what is needed now.However, these army elements that serve in this capacity must be vetted thoroughly and trained to be in a para military role, which, many countries have, and who have the powers of arrest and detainment, and able to legally testify in court.Regardless of statistics, if the ex crime chiefs, possibly, next commisioner’s home and his family, are traumatised by an armed home invasion, then no citizen can feel safe.
There is the need for people to feel safe in their homes and in the streets. Why must people live in fear? Thus there should be more protection. Crime is on the increase and that is very obvious. But not everyone wants to testify to that fact. So maybe the army should come out and be of some assistance.