Crime rate highest since Jagdeo tenure - PNC/R Deborah Backer

November 15, 2010 | By KNews | Filed Under News  

Shadow Home Affairs Minister of the People’s National Congress Reform, Deborah Backer, has stated that based statistics from the Guyana Police Force the crime rate in Guyana is at its all time highest.
The statement was made on Friday during the party’s weekly media briefing.

Backer stated that throughout the 11-year tenure of President Bharrat Jagdeo, from 1999 to 2010, the average rate of murders has been the highest in the country’s history. The rate for 2010, so far, indicates a continuation of that bloody record.
According to the Head of the Criminal Investigation Department, of the Guyana Police Force, Assistant Commissioner, Mr. Seelall Persaud, as at October 31, (the 304th day of the year), the Force has recorded 116 murders. This number represented a rate of one death every two-and-a-half days.
With 61 days remaining between November 1, and December 31, it is likely that, given the record of the PPP/C Administration, there will be about 24 more murders by the end of 2010. This would give Guyana a total of 140 murders per annum, about the same rates as in 2002 and 2005, at the height of the Phantom Squad killings and the Extra Judicial executions by the Guyana Police Force.

Backer pointed out that the reasons why the Police Force is incapable of detecting and solving so many murders are not difficult to discern. She noted that the Commissioner of Police, Henry Greene, has complained repeatedly that the Police Force is 20 per cent under strength and there are not sufficient constables to conduct anti-crime patrols, man far flung Police stations and respond to crimes.
“Greene also admitted that the single greatest number of murders occurred in the hinterland, yet it is this very Division that has the least number of policemen and equipment and the largest number of stations.”
Backer said that yet the PPP/C Administration refuses to bring the Guyana Police Force up to the required strength.
She added that the Crime Chief, Seelall Persaud, has lamented the length of time his detectives have to be away from their regular duties to attend court and also investigate the huge backlog of cases still before the court.
She added that the reason for the failure to bring the murder rate under control is due to the reality that neither the Minister of Home Affairs nor the Commissioner of Police has a comprehensive strategy to reduce the dozen murders occurring every month, either in the hinterland or in the rural and urban communities and the narcotics underworld.
Backer said that the People’s National Congress Reform is of the view that the Administration should immediately adopt the recommendations of the Disciplined Forces Commission and implement a sensible Security Sector Reform Plan to deal with the Police Force’s personnel problems.
“Only in this way will a start be made toward deterring criminals, detecting crime and diminishing the current murder rate”.
Ms Backer further reminded the Jagdeo Administration that it is the responsibility of the Government of Guyana to maintain public safety and protect the lives and property of all Guyanese citizens. Hence the party calls on the Home Affairs, Mr. Clement Rohee, and the Commissioner of Police to reduce the unacceptably high rate of murders.