…but crime not spiralling out of control – Crime Chief
Director of the Guyana Sex Work Coalition’s One Love Movement, Miriam Edwards was on Tuesday evening robbed in

A traumatised Miriam Edwards

her home at gunpoint by a lone gunman, who escaped with a quantity of jewellery and other items.
According to information, the gunman entered the yard of Edwards’ home located at Lot 896 Fort Ordinance Housing Scheme, Berbice, about 20:15h.
At that time she was sitting on the veranda and thought he was a neighbour’s grandson and as such enquired what he wanted.
The bandit reportedly gave a faint response, but soon after whipped out a gun and ordered Edwards into the house where he instructed her to stay quiet.
The gunman then demanded that she hand over all her valuables and out of fear she handed over six gold rings, a gold chain along with her mobile phone.
At the time of the robbery, two of Edwards’s children were at home, but were unaware of what was happening. The young man then left and joined an accomplice, who was waiting on a pedal cycle. The Police were called in and an investigation was launched.
Speaking with Guyana Times on Wednesday, Edwards recounted that after taking what he wanted, the gunman, who appeared to be in his teens, calmly walked out of her yard, got on his accomplice’s pedal cycle and they rode off.
It was after they left, she alerted her children about what happened and contacted the Police. She said she did not raise an alarm right away because she was fearful that the gunman might have injured her children.
The traumatised woman was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital where she was treated and sent away.
Edwards told this publication that the Police were quick to respond but expressed some concerns about the length of time she had to wait at the Central Police Station in New Amsterdam for the report to be taken.

Not spiralling out of control
This is another robbery that came on the heels of Police refuting claims that serious crimes was not spiralling out of control.
As a matter of fact, in a release issued on Wednesday, Head of the Criminal Investigations Department, Wendell Blanhum stated that based on statistics and other data, crime is not on the increase. He had stated that the serious crimes statistics indicated there was an eight per cent increase for the period January 1, 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 per cent.
The Police stated that notwithstanding the eight per cent increase this year, there were significant efforts by law enforcement in the apprehension and prosecution of several high-profile criminal groups.
The Guyana Police Force also stated that in the recent instances when the Guyana Defence Force was called out in support of the Police, it was with the aim of giving reassurance to the members of the public and boosting their confidence, and not because the Police were overwhelmed by the crime situation.