The acquisition of two Bell 206 helicopters by the Guyana Defence Force has yielded a perception among citizens that every criminal act deserves an immediate response utilizing the machines, but a military source has said that their deployment would have to be based on careful assessment and reliable intelligence.
The recent killing of 22-year-old Arjune Singh, who was gunned down while at a police checkpoint on Middleton Street, Campbell-ville, and subsequent reports of gunfire in several parts of the city, the shots fired from outside the Water Chris Hotel and restaurant followed by the channa-bombing at the Ministry of Culture on Friday, many believe, were perfect opportunities for the helicopters to have been pressed into service. However they were not deployed in any of these instances.
Last week a team of reporters approached Defence Board Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon for an answer to the question as to when the choppers would be used and whether the Middleton Street incident, for instance, could not be deemed an appropriate occasion. In response Luncheon said, “Not every tin cup that knocks the helicopter would be used.” He explained too that the situation would have to be assessed before such an intervention would be considered.
