The police do not sit down and strategise ways to deal with problems

Dear Editor,

It’s really a bad time for the police. These people who received a bonus month’s pay from the government are now being accused of turning up at a Corentyne robbery some two hours after the fact (nothing new). One political party is now calling for all the ranks of the Whim Police Station to go. I don’t know how feasible that would be, but seriously, the police in this country are not thinkers.

Right now, New Amsterdam is overflowing with traffic. The main arteries in the town (and I’m sure Rose Hall and Corriverton too), have situations whereby vehicles on the move are within inches of each other.

Pedestrians and other road users are in proximity to these vehicles too. Strand and Main Street are the main arteries in the town of New Amsterdam. The police are directing traffic and they feel they are doing ‘something.’

Well, they are not. If they were thinking people, they would make provisions for the festive season. In Rose Hall Town, a similar situation obtains. One has to spend over 15 minutes in the Rose Hall Town bottleneck.

It’s as if the police do not sit down and strategize ways to deal with problems, ie, traffic problems and bottlenecks during the Christmas season in major traffic areas. Certain streets and roads should be designated as one way. You cannot have people parking vehicles along Rose Hall Public Road during this time as well. Restrictions should have been placed along the Strand Public Road in New Amsterdam too, and have people utilize the less busy Republic Road.

Motor car operators must face restrictions during this season lest there be traffic mayhem and even accidents, since the situation is very chaotic.

Hire-car operators cannot be allowed to stop in front of the New Amsterdam Market and neighbouring areas to let off or take in passengers, while a barrage of vehicles is waiting behind them.

It’s ludicrous, too, that drivers stop to do the same right before approaching the Canje River Bridge, sometimes where the slope begins.

The police simply cannot think nor can they effectively enforce the laws as they should.

What they can do, however, is arm themselves with radar guns just after drivers descend from the Canje River Bridge, a slope-like descent that would obviously have them over the 50 kph speed limit, but this is where the police deliberately position themselves to ‘catch’ drivers.

This is the police in Berbice for you. Reward them more, government.

 Yours faithfully,

Leon Suseran