Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo believes that criminals are now acting with impunity because of the ambiguous signals emanating from government.
Concerns are aplenty that while the crime situation is once again spiralling out of control, government has been very laidback in its approach to addressing the matter.
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo
Giving his take on the issue, Jagdeo said government has not demonstrated any starkness regarding which class of people they would support: the victims or the perpetrators.
The former President opined that the manner in which President David Granger is pardoning prisoners and the entire process of negotiating with prisoners have led to criminal elements in society feeling empowered.
Jagdeo noted that while pardoning prisoners is not entirely a bad action, the fact that government has kept their identities hidden from the public portrays the message that these criminals are being protected.
On this note, Jagdeo alleged that some of the pardoned prisoners were convicted not of nonviolent crimes but of “hardcore ones.”
Comparing the situation with the previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration, Jagdeo said the people were always clear on the fact that government stood with the people.
Moreover, he noted that when the President tells the security arm of the country to hesitate on shooting criminals but instead, “bring them in alive”, it also gives rise to worry within the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
“What signal do you send to the Police Force when you say to the Police Force, ‘do not shoot at people just like that’, Policemen are worried because if they shoot a criminal in an act, then suddenly they will face the wrath of the government because he (the criminal) might be someone’s friend in the government… That is why criminals are acting with impunity today,” Jagdeo stated.
Moreover on security matters, the Opposition Leader posited that government is floundering in the dark and groping for effective policies to deal with the crime situation.
“We were told before the elections that they had three former heads of the army, a former head of the police force and many military people who are capable to do a better job on crime and keeping our country secure than the PPP because they are security people and they had a plan to deal with it. What is the plan?” Jagdeo demanded to know.
Jagdeo pointed out that in the National Budget, the only measure to enhance security in the country is a project that had commenced under the previous administration.
He went on to chastise the government for interfering with key initiatives that were established under the former government to combat crime.
“They quashed the Community Policing Groups, they are interfering with the operational duties in the Guyana Police Force, they will not deploy the Tactical Service Unit in a practical way across the nation, arms of the government designed to go after criminals are now being used for political vendetta…,” he stated.
In fact, Jagdeo declared that nearly half of the Police Force is now focused on going after political opponents as opposed to criminals.
(Reprinted from today’s Guyana Times)
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Sandy.
The “young black youth” you lovingly refereed to were MURDERERS and CRIMINALS!
The new PNC Regime is granting pardons to the same Criminals who are now murdering hard working Indians, so your racist comment is just ignorant!
PS he had much more than a crime plan,he had a Cocaine master plan and a killing squad running bigger and more powerful than the police farce, lol
Dem was thieves and criminals. I am sorry Khan didn’t kill all the criminals, rapists, murderers, kidnappers etc. Bring back Khan.
This is a headless administration. It’s the blind leading the blind. At the end of this CRAPNU tenure in office all will suffer. Granger and Team are focused on the upcoming Jubilee celebrations only. They are big on jumping up and have no plans to deal with the escalating crime rate.
The crime plan is going to arrive on the SOON!,,some old retired fool is going to arrive with it,don’t sweat jaggs,,
With the current crime rate spiralling out of control the future of Guyana looks very damming..”
OH just shut up. You started all this criminal activities, by getting in bed with the criminals. Jagdeo you are not credible, no one cares what you have to say, period. your own people seeing through you and catching them selves, they just shame to acknowledge it. It is either a person is right or they are wrong, they are thieves or they are not, they lie or they tell the truth.
I agree wholeheartedly that the government should not be negotiating with jail men. You cannot use the threat of violence or arson to wheel and deal and demand privileges. The scheduled annual release of fixed numbers of prisoners is also in my opinion a bad policy. These releases should be based on meeting strict criteria and not based on numbers.If women want to be with their children to raise them properly then they should desist from committing crimes and set a good example.
Having said that I hasten to add that the police are now solving more crimes than they did under the PPP. This is because there is less ministerial micromanagement and interference designed to shelter offenders. The security minister is more enlightened and intelligent than his predecessor. Ask the Commissioner. The likes of Sean Hinds, Abdullah, Carvil Duncan, Jennifer Westford and Kwame McCoy could have done as they liked under the PPP. Those days are over. The police still need to collar Brassington, Ash Deonarine, the pradoville posse and others. When they do, trust me, Jagdeo will be howling about discrimination, witch hunting etc.
Do not usually agree with this person, but in this case , he is absulutely correct.Government is fiddling and playing nice, while Guyana’s people suffer the consequences of their innaction.
Jagdeo did you had a plan when your government was killing all those Young black youth,every morning you wake up is some one young sons gunned down by the Phantom Roger Khan ,and Gagraj gang ,so stop criticizing, this new government is Solving crimes .