Although the Police ‘D’ Division is understaffed it has been successful in reducing crime this year, Commander Balram Persaud said yesterday.
Currently the division is staffed by 187 ranks, Persaud explained, while adding that it has been promised reinforcements before the end of this year. Despite this lack in manpower, Persaud said,they have been able to reduce crime by 7 percent when compared to last year.
During the period January to June, Persaud noted, the crime rate in the division had been 14 percent more than the same period last year. However, as the year progressed, it decreased.
Community Policing Groups have been supporting the force, he noted, and will be assisting police during the upcoming holiday season. Patrols will be on duty for extended periods during the late shopping period and will check in occasionally with businesses to ensure that they are safe.
Break and enter and larceny has been the most rampant crime in West Demerara so far this year and homeowners must take measures to further secure themselves, Persaud said.
While speaking at the presentation of the Christmas policing plan for D Division, he said that many residents who live in areas like developing housing scheme Parafaite Harmonie have had their homes burglarized in recent times. Many residents in Parafaite Harmonie, which is located in the Canal Number Two Polder, West Bank Demerara, work in Georgetown and are hardly home. This provides many openings for criminals, Persaud said.
The business community, he noted, has also suffered its share of break and enter larcenies. In several cases, Persaud said, it was noted that employees within these entities were involved in the crime.
Both homeowners and businessmen and women, who can afford it, should consider investing in technology supported security system. While the initial investment may seem too expensive, Persaud said, it will be worth the cost because of the long term benefits it will be.
Criminals, he said, are more likely to attack easy targets and will think twice about breaking into a secure location where there are security cameras or even an alarm system. “Just how we study to catch them,” he said, “they study how to rob their targets.”
Lack of security during cash movement has also left many persons open for attack, Persaud further said. There have been several instances in his division where clerks have gone to the bank with just a bag to collect money to pay workers. Security needs to be provided for such employees, he stressed.
“Trunking” is also another prevalent crime in D Division, the commander said, and he appealed to citizens to avoid leaving their valuables locked in the trunks of their vehicles and leaving it unattended.
Several “known trunkers,” Persaud said, have been arrested previously but because no evidence was available they were released from custody. It takes less than a minute, he stressed, for a trunker to break into your vehicle and get away with your valuables.
The culture of dealing with large sums of cash has to change, Persaud said. Banking should be done as often as possible, he advised, and citizens must make a greater effort of utilizing services like bank transfers and payment by cheque. “Do not make yourself a prey to those vultures,” Persaud urged citizens.
