The police force has recognized that there is a link between the upsurge in armed robberies for hard cash and big entertainment shows but some promoters say that this is an unfair assumption which should be backed up with evidence.
“We have established that persons commit these crimes when there are these shows from overseas. Not that it has anything to decry the overseas shows… it seems that some people (the bandits) try to get money before these shows,” Police Commissioner Henry Greene said.
Greene was responding to questions on whether the police see a link between a sudden spate of robberies and recent concerts headlined by international artistes.
During the interview with Stabroek News last week, Greene said that it is felt that the perpetrators of several robberies on the East Bank and East Coast “would have been trying to get money for Jamzone.” He was responding to the annual Jamzone concerts and beach pageant organised by Hits and Jams Entertainment.
Greene stressed that in the past, the police have established that there are many occasions when a serious crime occurred just before a show. In the week leading up to last Sunday (August 21), when Jamzone ended, there were five robberies committed by separate gangs of men, some armed with guns and cutlasses. In four of the cases, money was reported stolen.
Kerwin Bollers, one of the Hits & Jams promoters, did not admit or deny the potential link. “I think when you do the kind of campaign that we do for Jamzone, I think that people look for ways where they could probably get that type of stuff (money). I don’t want to say that it happens every Jamzone or around the time, but I think the police should be in a better position in terms of reports. So, I think what he (Greene) might have said, probably is based on the whole trend of that crime happening,” Bollers explained.
The promoter pointed out that Jamzone is an event that everyone wanted to go to and “some people do go to the lengths to maybe secure finances to go to these events. I don’t know how much we can control that.”
He noted, however, that in the future if an upsurge in robberies is seen, the police force can put security around major shopping areas. He stressed that this is something that will have to be looked at seriously, especially since the event draws a lot of tourists.
The first armed robbery occurred Monday August 16, when businessman Raajdeo Tahjpaul was shot twice and his wife Sumintra Hemwant badly beaten by a gang of at least seven men who invaded their Unity, Mahaica home. The incident occurred around 2.30 am and the bandits were able to terrify their victims and ransack their home for almost an hour before fleeing with $800, 000 and a small quantity of jewellery.
Then three days later, six men, including two armed with guns, stormed the Eccles Industrial Site, East Bank Demerara and after disarming and tying up security guards escaped with computers monitors and cell phones from Telcom Solutions Inc.
Later that day, around 3 pm, three men, two armed with guns, went into Prairie International Hotel, at Coverden, and held up Norma Lawrence and desk clerks, Sheloma Lyte and Hemwattie Bhagwandeen. The men escaped with a total $84,000, US$158, jewellery and two cell phones. Acting quickly on the report made, a mobile police patrol later intercepted the motor car the men used to escape. The driver, who was alone in the vehicle, was arrested.
Around 7 pm on the same day, armed bandits struck at Saj Rice Mill Inc at Burma, Mahaicony and after tying up the guards on duty escaped with a canister containing an undisclosed amount of cash. Three men suspected to be the perpetrators were later caught by an alert police patrol in the get away vehicle on George Street in the city.
Ramnarine Ganga, 19, of 105 Graham Street, Rose Hall, his brother Krishandatt Ganga, 21, also of the same Graham Street address along with their friends Andre Stouger, 38, of 32 Princes Street, Georgetown and Dexter De Florimonte, 37, of 22 George Street, Georgetown were subsequently charged with armed robbery.
The following day, around 3.30 pm, Lakeram Bishundial was shot dead at Hope, East Coast Demerara by a gunman who escaped with a bag containing cash. Bishundial’s brother had uplifted the money from the city and the two were chatting on the roadway when the bandits attacked them. Quick police action resulted in three suspects being captured. One of them, Shawn Anthony Thom, has since been charged with murder.
Stats
A prominent promoter, when contacted by Stabroek News, said that it now seems like promoters are being accused of contributing to crime. The promoter, who did not want his name published, said that he wants to see the statistics to prove that armed robberies are linked to big entertainment events. “I have to see stats…Prove it to us. I would like to see a report and I want to see which concerts…” he added.
He pointed out that the end of year, the Main Big Lime and Guyexpo are huge entertainment events promoted by the government and there are usually robberies. “Would you blame the government…?” he questioned.
He also questioned why Hits and Jams had to be singled out. “I need the evidence to be produced! Don’t just call one name. Call government who have major promotions in Guyana,” he added.
Meanwhile, another promoter, who also declined to have his name published, said that he doesn’t believe that the issue of armed robberies leading up to concerts was relevant. “I do not see a link. There may be but it is very hard to link it to that,” he said.
According to the promoter, who has built a reputable entertainment company over several years, Greene’s statement was unfair. After stressing that a concert is just an entertainment activity, he said that he believes that robberies have to do with the economic situation in the country and nothing else.
Meanwhile, a security expert said that based on his knowledge, robbery has to do with opportunity and he added that he did not see a link between crime and entertainment events. “From my experience and reading, robbery takes place because they provide opportunity,” he said, adding that the victims at concerts are distracted and the perpetrators have a high probability of escaping. He said that at shows, there are large numbers of people gathered and the police would not be in a position to respond quickly in the event of a robbery.
