Dear Editor,
I would want to encourage all Guyana to take a minute’s silence with the families of Lusignan who lost their loved ones on January 26, 2008 in a massacre. Eleven persons were killed including five children.
This is what the PPP promised in their 2006 manifesto with respect to crime:
* Reform the security system to reduce violent crime and improve public safety – the PPP failed.
* Create a SWAT team to tackle serious crime – the PPP failed.
* Use the best international expertise to assist the fight against crime – the PPP chased the British.
The AFC will be launching its Action Plan (the modern word; the communists use the word manifesto) on January 29, 2010 at Ocean View Hotel at 4 pm. These are just a few strategies the AFC will pursue once in power:
* Establish a Ministry of Justice and National Security to better coordinate all aspects of public safety, border security, and public order.
* Appoint a specialised Anti-Crime Unit comprising GDF and GPF personnel in all police divisions to be headed by a GDF officer on secondment to confront violent and armed criminals;
* Start a police-schools partnership programme by assigning a dedicated officer to each school with whom they can work on ‘Get to know the Police’ workshops, etc.
* Give the DEA permission to set up a local facility.
* Re-engage the British, USA and other friendly governments to acquire technical and financial assistance to reform the Joint Services.
* Contract out administrative duties not related to crime-fighting to independent agencies through a series of transparent bidding processes, or transfer them to other government agencies, freeing police officers to fight crime.
* Fund the University of Guyana and other institutions of learning to continuously assess the changes and developments within the society that influence crime and recommend approaches to confronting them.
* Complete the implementation of recommendations of the Disciplined Forces Commission, Symonds Group Report, and Caricom Task Force on Crime and Security Report.
This is just a snippet of what the AFC will do for the people of Guyana with respect to crime. The AFC have no-nonsense, committed people who will ensure it is done.
There is nothing to compare. Mahaica market ‘goat na’ bite me’ people can never be compared with a Khemraj or a Sheila or a Raphael. I can now understand the ‘cuss down’ that is happening in parliament from the government benches; when there is a vacuum in reasoning, it must be matched with noise.
Yours faithfully,
Sasenarine Singh
