Crime-weary Corentyne residents block
road, confront police over banditry
- Sunday, 26 January 2014 22:23
Residents at Number 48 Village Corentyne block road to protest upsurge in crime and possible police involvement
Tension among residents at Number 48 Village, Corentyne boiled over Sunday night because they said a police patrol refused to stop and take action shortly after a second armed robbery in the area that fits the same pattern.
Eyewitnesses said hundreds of residents blocked the road and prevented the police car from leaving the area. At one stage, they attempted to set the police car alight.
Several policemen were on the scene seeking to cool tempers and secure safe passage of the car out of the volatile area.
Sunday night’s incident stemmed from an armed robbery at Lalman’s shop where the elderly couple was held at gunpoint by four men. The bandits carted off a large number of phone cards, GUY$1 million worth of jewellery and cash.
Residents said the robbery fitted the same pattern as one in a nearby village less than seven days ago:-- four bandits, they fired shotguns, they collected the empty cartridge casings, did not injure the robber victims.
“We want justice because this is the second robbery because everybody suspect it’s the police. They are targeting people who are working hard. It’s not right,” a resident told Demerara Waves Online News on condition of anonymity.
According to enraged residents, the blue and white patrol car did not stop although residents called out to them. Instead, they went some where else and collected four persons before returning to the robbery scene.
The villagers were adamant that if the patrol had rendered assistance immediately, the bandits would have been intercepted.
Residents accused the police of either being directly involved or colluding with the bandits to commit the robberies.
Two days ago, residents alleged that policemen used a civilian car to go on a robbery in a nearby village.
However, a senior police officer in the Berbice Division explained that ranks used a policeman’s car to respond to a report of a robbery because none of the patrol vehicles was immediately available.
Eyewitnesses said hundreds of residents blocked the road and prevented the police car from leaving the area. At one stage, they attempted to set the police car alight.
Several policemen were on the scene seeking to cool tempers and secure safe passage of the car out of the volatile area.
Sunday night’s incident stemmed from an armed robbery at Lalman’s shop where the elderly couple was held at gunpoint by four men. The bandits carted off a large number of phone cards, GUY$1 million worth of jewellery and cash.
Residents said the robbery fitted the same pattern as one in a nearby village less than seven days ago:-- four bandits, they fired shotguns, they collected the empty cartridge casings, did not injure the robber victims.
“We want justice because this is the second robbery because everybody suspect it’s the police. They are targeting people who are working hard. It’s not right,” a resident told Demerara Waves Online News on condition of anonymity.
According to enraged residents, the blue and white patrol car did not stop although residents called out to them. Instead, they went some where else and collected four persons before returning to the robbery scene.
The villagers were adamant that if the patrol had rendered assistance immediately, the bandits would have been intercepted.
Residents accused the police of either being directly involved or colluding with the bandits to commit the robberies.
Two days ago, residents alleged that policemen used a civilian car to go on a robbery in a nearby village.
However, a senior police officer in the Berbice Division explained that ranks used a policeman’s car to respond to a report of a robbery because none of the patrol vehicles was immediately available.
