Dear Editor,
I just read news articles about the existence of what appears to be a murderous gang of young people operating out of, and apparently resident in Kitty, my village of birth. This is very disturbing news as I have always been of the view that, despite having its share of anti-social activity, Kitty maintained some pride of place as a community in which good neighborliness prevails. The article to which I refer is one of many which reported on the death of one Mr. Isles at the hands of some minor-aged youths who allegedly beat him with pieces of wood and other weapons of murderous destruction.
The news reports suggest that there is still some level of good neighborliness in Kitty as some residents went to Mr. Isles’ assistance, albeit only after the murderous thugs had seemingly accomplished their dastardly mission. So amidst the challenges of dealing with the violence of this gang of youths there is also hope as there remain public-spirited Kittitians who are willing to be their brothers’ keepers.
We who are from Kitty, whether by birth or by residence as should all citizens, must strongly condemn this violence and more importantly take initiatives to help stem the growth of gang violence in that community. I am sure my fellow Kittitians will join me in extending deepest sympathy to Mr. Isles’ wife and children and offering any material support they may need at this time.
I am hereby requesting every peace loving Kittitian to join with me in designing and/or contributing to some already existing programme in Guyana which would address the issue of youth gangs in Kitty and seek to find solutions to this problem. I have already spoken to a good friend, Commander Russell Permaul, a Guyanese from Albouystown, who recently retired after 35 years of service to law enforcement in the US and who served for five years as the head of the GREAT Program-Gang Resistance Education and Training for the southeastern US, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands and he has agreed to visit Guyana to help look at this gang problem in Kitty. He has worked extensively on this issue including the design of the curriculum for training in schools in the US and its Caribbean territories.
I will soon write to President Donald Ramotar and Minister Rohee seeking the government’s collaboration in this visit and for their support of this effort to look at the gang problem perhaps not only in Kitty but further afield. I hope others would join in this effort by providing any information, ideas/suggestions they may have about addressing the problems of youth gangs in Kitty.
Yours faithfully,
Wesley Kirton
