Citizens commended drop in crime rate
─ recommend more patrolling of communities
DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Eighteen-year-old nursing student Oma Singh said, “a month ago, my mom got robbed. Luckily the police were conducting surveillance and caught four guys out of six, which is really good. So, I think the Police have made major improvements in the way they do things now as compared to before.”
The young lady was at the time speaking with the Department of Public Information ( DPI) on Guyana’s decreased crime rate. According to the Ministry of Finance’s Mid-Year Report for 2019, serious crime has significantly decreased by 3.2%.
While the nursing student recommends the Guyana Police Force (GPF) conducts more patrols in vulnerable areas of the Capital City, she gave high marks for the work the police force is doing. “I would give them a 10 out of 10 because I think they are doing really good,” she remarked.
The Mid-Year Report noted that some of the interventions that have led to the decline in serious crimes include forensic video analysis, advanced crime scene photography, scene drawing, and community-based crime prevention strategies in 10 communities. Additionally, some 124 ranks were also trained in basic forensic bloodstain pattern recognition.
A teacher, attached to the School of the Nations and resident of La Parfaite Harmonie Dianna Barry, shared her opinion as well. “I feel more comfortable. I feel that they have been solving a lot more crimes. They have been listening to the citizens more and I must compliment them for that.”
With respect to enhanced relations between GPF and her community, the teacher stated, “they have been giving us so much support. We have had a meeting about two Saturdays ago and the support we have been promised from them, and the fact that they have almost completed a police station and the fact that they are saying that it’s going to be well-staffed.”
Commenting on the Smart City Solutions surveillance cameras that have been erected in more than 100 locations throughout Georgetown that were designed to enhance the capacity of GPF, Barry conveyed: “I think it is a plus for Guyana, because with so many tourists and [oil and gas] employees coming to our country. I think citizens are feeling more secure and are encouraging their families to come home. This is the place to be!”
She added, “there has been a marked decrease [in crime] because I feel safe walking on the road at certain hours, when before because I used to hurry and get home. So, I would say in the past four years I have been feeling much safer, I have been feeling much more secure.”
An artist that specialises in water-painting, Albert Barnwell, while making the argument for more police patrolling to be done, maintained his in the support for the increased policing efforts. “The safer the country, the more people have confidence. If you’re wherever in the world and you hear this place is crime-infested, you would hesitate to want to visit. So, it’s good. It’s good.”
On August 9, Minister of Public Security, Hon. Kemraj Ramjattan highlighted the statistics that convey the results yielded from the government’s stern stance on crime.
Under the previous administration in 2011; serious crimes committed numbered 3,823, in 2012 there were 3,760 with 2013 recording the highest with 4,204. However, in 2018, the Public Security Minister stated that the number of serious crimes committed was 2,681.
For 2019, the Ministry of Public Security has spent $15Billion out of the $35.6Billion budgetary allocation.