Government’s fight against a new criminality with
Regional and
International links
Georgetown, GINA, August 6, 2003
Reports of the shooting to death of the two brothers
on the East Bank of Essequibo and the killing of two others, whose
valuables were untouched by the killers, have led certain sections
of the media and of society to assume that the crime wave is about
to roll over this country.
Following the February 2003 infamous jailbreak, Guyana experienced
a wave of criminal activity never before seen in this country.
While the situation was new to Guyana, other countries of the
Caribbean and further afield were already experiencing high levels
of criminal activities and of a more violent nature.
It is now recognised that new forms of crime and violence are
posing severe threats to many countries including Guyana and sister
CARICOM States.
It was only in 2001 that Leaders of CARICOM mandated a Task Force
to look into the causes of crime that have resulted in escalating
fear and panic, with implications for law and order.
The Report coming out of the Task Force made clear the interconnected
nature of the newer forms of criminality, involving illicit drugs,
gun running and money laundering. It also addressed the impact
of deportees on crime and security.
In its wisdom, the report from the Task Force, and it should be
noted that the Task Force comprised of law and law enforcement
gurus from the Region, determined that security policies and programmes
need to be multi-sectoral to be effective. This would require
the involvement of not only the protective services, but also
the school system, the churches, youth groups and civil society
generally.
No one can deny that the Government, with limited resources
at its disposal, has made strenuous efforts to improve the capabilities
of the Police Force. To highlight just a few:
1).$100M was released to the Guyana Police Force last year, to
improve its weaponry, protective gears and equipment, transportation
and communication facilities.
2).A comprehensive reform of the Intelligence Sector was started
last year with support from Scotland Yard. This is to aid in strengthening
intelligence gathering to support the fight against crime, narco-trafficking
and threats of internal security.
3).Amendments were made to existing legislation on crime so as
to toughen existing penalties for criminal activities, and to
make prosecutions and convictions smoother.
4).Community Policing groups are benefiting from the establishment
of a dedicated unit based in the office of the Commissioner of
Police.
5).Speedy issuance of gun licenses to eligible citizens, especially
in the business community.
6).Joint operations between the Police and the Army including
Operation Tourniquet, Plaster of Paris and Saline Solution II.
These were successful in bringing law and order back to Buxton
and other areas.
7).Approximately $7.2B in the 2003 budget has been allocated for
enhancing security measures.
Crime and security are serious issues that should not be twisted
to suit any singular or individual interests.
It is interesting to compare the Guyana situation with the outside
world or even closer to home, with the Caribbean. A look at the
2001 crime statistics for three Caribbean countries including
Guyana shows that this country does not have an exceptionally
high crime rate.
|
Offences
|
Guyana
|
Trinidad & Tobago
|
Jamaica
|
Murder |
125 |
188 |
1,139 |
Sex Offence |
233 |
697 |
1,286 |
Serious assault |
413 |
634 |
9,179 |
Theft (all kinds) |
6,803 |
12,573 |
6,536 |
Fraud |
162 |
293 |
994 |
Drug Offence |
766 |
485 |
9,075 |
(Interpol International Crime statistics
– 2001)
These figures speak for themselves. Though some
may want to argue that since the jail break of February 2002,
crime has increased, in the same vein, it must be noted that our
law enforcement officers were able to ‘break the back of
the crime wave’.
Since February 2002, the Guyana Police Force issued wanted bulletins
for 42 notorious criminals who were wanted for crimes ranging
from armed robbery to murder. Most of these criminals have been
considered as armed and dangerous.
Information available from the Police Force shows that 25 of the
wanted persons have since died. Their deaths have mainly occurred
from confrontations with the police and joint police/army operations.
Seven of the wanted persons have been arrested, while ten persons
are still at large.
Discussions on crime and its impact on society are very commonplace.
At almost every gathering, the issue comes up. But how often do
we examine the driving force behind crime? It is believed that
deportees contribute significantly to criminal activities in that
they help to extend and intensify the transnational links of ordinary
criminals, and are involved in organising and facilitating the
trafficking in illegal drugs and firearms.
According to the report from the CARICOM Regional Task Force on
Crime, the impact of deportees on crime is a contested issue with
few studies done. Of these the better ones have been very guarded
in their conclusions.
It is time, therefore, for comprehensive studies to be done in
this area. It is reported that 80 percent of all deportees to
the Caribbean are convicted criminals. It is also true that many
of these deportees have little or no connection to the Caribbean
homeland. How then are they expected to be integrated into their
new country of residence and change any criminal behaviours?
An article published by Dr. Prem Misir (Government coping with
a new criminality, August 2003) points to a study done by Griffith
(2000) and another by Nolan and Rosales (1998) both of which indicate
that a large number of deportees are hard-core criminals, and
their return to their home countries have contributed to gang
violence and to increased drug-trafficking in the region. Taylor
and Aleinikoff (1998) indicated that foreign diplomats report
that the return of deportees is the main reason for penetratingly
rising crime rates in the Caribbean and Central America.
Guyana has instituted laws that allow for the monitoring of deportees,
but where are the resources to facilitate the monitoring? In a
developing country, such as ours, how much can we really afford
to spend on rehabilitating criminal deportees and integrating
them into our society?
The impact of the narco-trade must also be considered. It is estimated
that the illegal drug market in the Caribbean generates an estimated
income of US$3.3 billion.
It is needless to go into the details of how this quantity of
income can corrupt our society. There are endless analyses on
the impact of the drug trade on societies, ranging from the impact
on the State, law enforcement and judicial officials to the unemployed
and youths.
It is important to note that Guyana has advanced its efforts to
counter the narco-trade. The recent signing of the Shiprider Agreement
and the passage of facilitating legislation in the Parliament
are proof of Guyana’s efforts in this direction.
The Agreement recognises that the narco-trade knows no boundaries
and collaborative efforts between and among states must be made
to stem the illegal narcotics trade.
Another aspect of criminality that must be examined is organised
crime. This is the link between the various criminal enterprises
including narco-trafficking, prostitution, gambling, racketeering
and fraud, and the infiltration of authentic business.
The recent discovery of cocaine in lumber that was intercepted
in the United Kingdom is a clear indication of an international
network in action. In a small society as Guyana, organized crime
can be quite visible, as seen in some recent gruesome killings.
It has been recognised that combating crime requires the collaborative
efforts of all involved, from the family and community levels
to those at the national and international levels.
As Guyana’s Minister of Home Affairs noted when he declared
open the Police outpost at Wisroc, “For every corrupt cop
out there, there is a civilian who is providing a bribe or turning
a blind eye.”
Security of course is a public service provided by the State.
It is, however, up to the persons receiving that good to ensure
its suitability and adequacy.
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